Designer Phillip Johnson’s field of nearly 300,000 handmade poppies adorned the steps outside the Royal Hospital Chelsea at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016

Two weeks ago, I paid my first ever visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Admittedly, I should have blogged about this at the time, but life’s been a bit frantic in recent weeks. While I love London and all its different festivals, the Chelsea Flower Show hadn’t been one I had thought much about. I made an assumption it was a festival for green-fingered women of a certain age (like my mother… sorry!). While I do appreciate flowers, I’ve never been an aspiring gardener. Anyway, I was offered a free ticket by a friend and feeling a bit curious, gratefully accepted.

The day in question was lovely and balmy, although the sun was making intermittent appearances which didn’t provide great photography conditions. As I attended on the Saturday of the show, it was predictably busy. Despite the crowds, I really enjoyed myself looking at the stunning gardens, showpieces and stands. I particularly loved the poppies installation and the floral portrait of the Queen. There were plenty of places to buy food, Pimm’s and bubbly so we were able to make a day of it and relax in beautiful surroundings. Overall, it was a lovely day and I’m glad I finally experienced such a huge event on London’s festival calendar. As someone with a balcony, I was left with major garden envy (as long as someone else would take care of it for me…).

Here’s just some of the highlights of this year’s show…

• The RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place annually in May at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, SW3 4SR. Nearest station: Sloane Square. For more information, visit the Royal Horticultural Society website.

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For a guide to what’s on in London in June, click here.

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