There is much to celebrate at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. The annual display of the best flora, fauna and gardening expertise from around the world will once again showcase spectacular garden designs alongside innovative new ideas from 21-25 May 2024. Hosted at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, this year’s event will also see the Chelsea Flower Show celebrate a number of firsts, including a green audit for all gardens in order to reduce their environmental impact.

The show is sponsored by The Newt, the exalted Somerset hotel owned by South African businessman Koos Bekker and his wife, Karen Roos. The green-fingered property is known for its immaculate gardens, originally designed by former resident Penelope Hobhouse and updated by French architect Patrice Taravella. Champagne Pommery is the tipple of choice this year, noted for its sustainable wine-growing practices.

If you haven’t secured tickets to the main event, you can still enjoy an array of flower-themed satellite events across London. Tickle your tastebuds with specialty menus and botanical cocktails, or marvel at extraordinary floral installations across Mayfair and Belgravia.

Chelsea Flower Show at The Ivy, across London

Images: Rusne Draz

It would be rude not to stop off at The Ivy Chelsea Garden on your way to the main event. Inspired by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s theme of edible flowers, from 20-26 May, the Chelsea restaurant will be transformed into a floral wonderland of dancing flowers and oversized blooms in vibrant hues of red, pink and lavender. Using a floral palette of roses, pansies, elderflower and hibiscus – chosen to reflect flowers that lend themselves to food – the installation creates the perfect Instagrammable moment. 

While you’re there, we’d wholly recommend sampling the special Chelsea Flower Show menu, where a mix of traditional favourites and new spring dishes (with two courses £29.95 or three courses for £35.95) will be served, including highlights of classic prawn cocktail, miso-glazed fillet steak, and ginger and soy aubergine. For dessert, indulge in the Chelsea Bloom cheesecake: vanilla cheesecake with raspberries, crushed pistachios, lemon balm and raspberry sauce, garnished with chocolate butterflies and edible flowers. 

Across all Ivy outposts in the capital this month, cocktail connoisseurs are invited to celebrate the Chelsea Flower Show by simply picking their favourite flower to create a new cocktail, in partnership with Lillet. The limited edition menu uses edible flowers to flavour and garnish, with stylish serves including the Rose and Rosé Spritz featuring Lillet Rosé, rose syrup and prosecco, garnished with yoghurt boba and rose petals. 

Visit ivycollection.com

The Knotted Garden Flower Menu at Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London, Whitehall

Coinciding with London’s world famous Chelsea Flower Show, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO will celebrate the arrival of spring with a new limited-edition Knotted Garden Flower menu, which will channel Colagreco’s gardening knowledge and explore an array of edible flowers that can largely be found in a British country garden. The five-course menu, available from 21-31 May, puts a culinary focus on the Elizabethan Knotted Garden, a gardening style popularised in England in the 16th century which centres around aromatic, edible plants. 

Colagreco – whose three Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur was ranked number one at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in 2019 – is known as a ‘gardener in chef’s whites’, and will kick off this unique menu with two snacks: Marigold, a tartlet filled with herb cream and an orange reduction, topped with marigold petals and leaves, and Rose, a smoked mackerel tart topped with pickled rose petals. Further dishes include Zucchini – a ravioli made with the petals of the zucchini flower in place of pasta – and Borage, a chawanmushi topped with razor clams and borage flowers. For dessert, the Naranjo en Flor sees a saffron custard flavoured with orange and topped with an almond foam. Bon appétit!

From 21-31 May 2024, £165 per person, visit raffles.com

The Flower Fairies Afternoon Tea at Grosvenor House, Park Lane

Images: Zodee Media

Inspired by the 170 original drawings by Cicely Mary Barker, the magic of the Flower Fairies will unfold at Grosvenor House this month in the form of an afternoon tea to coincide with the Chelsea Flower Show. Created by head pastry chef Anthony Hurst, expect artistic edible creations such as the Lavender Fairy – a lemon-soaked cake encased in a white chocolate shell – and Woodland Whispers, a brownie with raspberry ganache hidden within a toadstool throne. Elsewhere, savouries include finger sandwiches filled with smoked Oakham chicken, roast Aberdeen Angus beef, cucumber, and garden mint, as well as freshly baked scones with all the usual condiments. To accompany the afternoon tea, guests can choose from a selection of Newby fine teas including Grosvenor House’s own botanical blend, or a glass of Ruinart champagne.

Sprouting seeds of imagination, pastries inspired by the Flower Fairies are captured in watercolour form through a bespoke illustrative menu which will be offered to guests as a keepsake, while the surrounds of Grosvenor House’s Park Room will transform into a wild fairy garden designed by the English Potted Plant Company. The wild garden features bespoke fairy costumes, created exclusively by world-renowned designer Vin Burnham and loaned by Penguin Random House Children’s UK.

From 13 May 2024, £70 per person, visit parkroom.co.uk

Afternoon tea and edible flower dinner at Number Sixteen, South Kensington

Another unmissable floral afternoon tea comes from Number Sixteen, which will be showcasing edible flowers throughout the week of the Chelsea Flower Show. During the afternoon tea (£50 per person), enjoy savoury snacks such as a ricotta and courgette flower vol au vent, a finger sandwich selection and sweet treats including a dark chocolate and rose delice and a viola and white macaron – all served in the hotel’s blooming courtyard. 

On 23 May, spend an evening in the hotel’s garden discovering the art of cooking with edible flowers before sitting down to a floral-inspired dinner in The Orangery. Priced at £95 per person, enjoy a glass of garden punch, canapés, a two-course dinner and wine before joining executive chef Joe Fox for a cooking demonstration, where you can make fried courgette flowers alongside the likes of rose geranium lime sugar, floral vinegar and nasturtium pesto. 

From 20-26 May 2024, visit firmdalehotels.com

Bloomin' Lovely Afternoon Tea at The Goring, Belgravia

In celebration of Belgravia in Bloom 2024 and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, The Goring has launched its new Bloomin’ Lovely afternoon tea, available from 13-26 May. The quintessentially British fare – named in a nod to George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, which was published just a few years after the hotel opened – will be served within the five-star hotel's flourishing garden, one of London's best kept secrets. 

Tuck into an assortment of floral-inspired treats, from beetroot and goats curd tartlet to blackcurrant and hibiscus scones, and strawberry and violet cheesecake to a chocolate and mint cake. Even the sandwiches will take a botanical twist with favourites such as smoked salmon and cream cheese, coronation chicken, and cucumber and yoghurt adorned with fresh herbs from the garden. Pair with a vibrant array of herbal teas and floral infusions  – think jasmine pearls, camomile flowers, and rosebuds – while traditionalists can stick to The Goring’s afternoon blend, Earl Grey or a glass of Bollinger champagne. 

From 13-26 May 2024, £80 per person, visit thegoring.com

Floral installation and cocktails at Sticks'n'Sushi, Chelsea

Also getting in the floral spirit this year is Sticks'n'Sushi, who is celebrating Chelsea Flower Show with the launch of its new installation and limited-edition cocktails. The King's Road outpost will adorn a Japanese-themed display which captures the culture and heritage of the brand, featuring a fishing boat made from sustainable flowers, foliage and florist’s materials. While you’re there, we’d recommend sampling the new cocktail menu – created especially for Chelsea in Bloom – including the Murasakiiro No Chō, which translates to purple butterfly and features butterfly pea infused Roku gin, creme de peche, and violet syrup.

From 20-26 May 2024, visit sticksnsushi.com

A Different Green at The Oxo Tower, South Bank

Orange Kimono by Bella Hoare

Elsewhere in the capital, art enthusiasts can enjoy a free floral exhibition courtesy of Wiltshire-based artist Bella Hoare at the Oxo Tower on South Bank. From 22 May - 2 June 2024, the solo exhibition, named A Different Green, features two series of work inspired by both the natural world and feminine power. First up, the Green Goddess collection offers a feminist take on the ‘Green Man’ figure from British pagan folklore, exploring feminine power and wisdom through transitional colour palettes. The second instalment, Glasshouse, features five portraits of women from The Glasshouse: a Kent-based social enterprise offering second chances through horticultural training for women based in UK prisons – which will also be presenting a garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. A passionate supporter of The Glasshouse, the scale of Hoare’s paintings throws off viewers’ preconceptions, highlighting women from marginalised communities and their potential for growth.

From 22 May-2 June 2024, visit bellahoare.com

Chelsea in Bloom

In celebration of the Chelsea Flower Show, the neighbourhood's retailers dress up their storefronts each year with whimsical and imaginative installations, which are every bit as impressive as the main event. This year’s theme is 'Floral Feasts', taking inspiration from culinary favourites, memorable food scenes and characters across film, literature, history and art (don't miss an enormous floral The Very Hungry Caterpillar on Sloane Square). Undoubtedly one of the most uplifting events in London, immerse yourself in floral displays galore, which stretch from Sloane Street down the Kings Road, as well as Pavilion Road and Duke of York Square.

From 20-26 May 2024, visit chelseainbloom.co.uk

Chelsea Flower Show afternoon tea at The Dorchester, Park Lane

This year, The Dorchester will return to Chelsea Flower Show's Drawing Room for a sixth year, offering visitors a chance to sample the hotel’s renowned afternoon tea while enjoying the show from 21-25 May 2024. This year’s floral afternoon tea features seasonal takes on traditional finger sandwiches alongside a selection of summer pastries, including strawberry roulade, pistachio choux, blueberry and blackcurrant tart and a Black Forest gateaux, by executive pastry chef Michael Kwan. A vegan version will also be available for those looking for a plant-based alternative, and those who would rather indulge in the delectable desserts from the comfort of the five-star hotel's Promenade restaurant can book from 20 May.

Visit rhs.org.uk

Belgravia in Bloom

Images: PA Photography

Another neighbourhood which dons itself in an array for floral finery, Belgravia in Bloom will see some of the area's most prestigious locations create large-scale installations on the theme of 'Floral Fun and Games'. Florists taking part include some of the capital's most renowned creators, including Neill Strain Floral Couture, Moyses Stevens and Judith Blacklock Flower School, while there will also be a programme of workshops, events and special offers to get involved in. The ninth annual Belgravia in Bloom festival also falls ahead of a summer of sport, so expect a number of displays to celebrate global sporting events, with classic sports and games transformed into captivating displays adorned with blossoms bringing the neighbourhood alive with colour, competition and creativity.

From 20-27 May 2024, visit belgravialdn.com

Sketch, Mayfair

Mayfair hosts its own mini flower show every year in tandem with the main event in Chelsea – and Sketch goes all in, transforming its already impressive dining spaces with verdant installations. This year's offering features a blooming homage to seminal artists from the National Gallery's collection, from masters such as Alfred Sisley, JMW Turner and Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder through to large-scale floral centrepieces, textured hangings, and reimagined botanical beings. Visitors can revel in Sisley-esque pastoral landscapes amid hills of colourful blooms, gaze upon an abstract floral ceiling piece drawing on Turner's dynamic seascapes or encounter extraordinary 'Plant Beings' embodying Bosschaert's still life compositions. Additional highlights include a ‘living portrait’ photo opportunity to honour Edouard Manet and his muse Eva Gonzalès, as well as bespoke workshops guided by Central Saint Martins-trained artist Tony Green.  

From 1-27 May 2024, visit sketch.london

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