The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 is in full swing, welcoming famous faces, celebrated growers and thousands of eager plant lovers to explore its world-famous gardens and fabulous floral displays. But what are the plants everyone is talking about?
While Chelsea is never short on inspiration, from gold-winning gardens to beautifully styled houseplant studios, every year we leave with a handful of standout plants we're eager to grow in our own outdoor spaces (or at least try to grow).
We were lucky enough to visit on press day (Monday 18th May), getting a sneak peek before the floral gates officially open to RHS members and the general public. Take a look at the top three plants we spotted more than any others:
1. Poppies
Poppies flashed their scarlet heads across many Chelsea displays, including The RHS and The King's Foundation Curious Garden. Celebrating the beauty of 'useful' plants, poppies were scattered in borders alongside delphiniums (a favourite of The King), mulberry flowers for height, and the Sir David Beckham rose, which launched at Chelsea.
Over in A Garden for Every Parkinson's Journey, designer Arit Anderson chose uplifting poppies to fill flower beds. There were four main poppies used here to bring joy to those with Parkinson's: Papaver Dubium (Long-Headed Poppy), Papaver 'Laurens Grape' (Opium Poppy 'Lauren's Grape'), Papaver Rhoeas (Common Poppy) and Papaver Rhoeas Amazing Grace (Poppy 'Amazing Gracey').
Meanwhile, the Seasalt Painted Container Garden also used a bright red wild poppy, a native plant of Cornwall, as part of its vibrant seaside colour scheme.
2. Cow parsley
Cow parsley is more at home along Britain's hedgerows and woodland paths than in Chelsea show gardens, but this year, the frothy white wildflower emerged as an unexpected favourite among designers.
Sarah Eberle, designer of The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: On the Edge, planted cow parsley alongside other UK native flowering plants, including Ranunculus acris (Meadow Buttercup) and Viola riviniana (Common Dog Violet) — all commonly dismissed as weeds but vital to our ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Baz Grainger's Killik & Co's 'A Seed in Time' Garden used Anthriscus sylvetris (cow parsley) in a shady spot with nettles, foxgloves and yellow wax bells.
'Cow parsley felt like the right plant for this garden because it embodies so much of what we set out to do: doing more with less. It's humble, native and quietly beautiful,' Baz tells House Beautiful UK. 'It softens the architectural forms, adds movement and froth, and ties the planting back to the wild landscapes of East Anglia. It's also a brilliant early-season pollinator plant, with those umbels of tiny white flowers offering a vital food source for hoverflies, bees and beetles just when they need it.
'For anyone wanting to bring a bit of that hedgerow feel home, cow parsley is a brilliant plant to work with because it really doesn't ask for much. It's happy in semi-shade, copes with most soils, and once it settles in, it tends to find its own way.'
Over in A Garden for Every Parkinson's Journey, cow parsley was chosen to complete the woodland-inspired planting scheme and exude calmness. Additional features include a mixture of native and non-native species to boost biodiversity, a natural pond, peonies, and scentless roses to reflect the loss of smell, a common early symptom of Parkinson's.
3. Ferns
Wild British woodlands proved a major source of inspiration for designers this year, with many choosing architectural plants like ferns to fill shady corners.
In the Trussell’s Together Garden, designed by Rob Hardy, woodland-edge species were chosen to introduce calm and balance, while also bringing momentum and vibrancy. Here, ferns sit alongside red irises, Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens,' and striking Euphorbia ceratocarpa.
Ferns are also a standout feature in the Flood Re: Contain the Rain Garden. Designed to highlight changing weather conditions, the gold medal-winning container garden highlights how gardens can help absorb rainfall, provide year-round interest, and improve soil structure. Ostrich ferns have been planted with Japanese forest grass, Astilbe 'Deutschland', and the hardy elephant plant.
Speaking about planting choices like ferns, designer John Howlett said: 'This garden is about showing that you don't have to choose between beauty and resilience. By using planting, permeable materials and thoughtful design, you can create a space that looks great but also works much harder when it rains.'
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