More than 90 retailers, including shops, restaurants and hotels, have dressed up their shop fronts this week for Chelsea in Bloom, London’s largest free flower festival that runs in tandem with Chelsea Flower Show. The theme for 2019 is Under the Sea, conjuring a theatrical underwater spectacle on the streets of Chelsea. Flower-festooned octopi, luscious mermaids and tactile coral reefs adorn Sloane Street, Pavilion Road and the King’s Road, while Maison de Fleurs has created a vibrant turtle installation in the heart of Duke of York Square. The event, produced by Cadogan in association with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has partnered with charity Plastic Oceans UK in order to help raise awareness of plastic pollution, and participants were judged not only on their skill and imagination but also sustainability credentials, with the majority opting to use recyclable materials.

Walpole Dentist Surgery, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

The Winners

Hackett scooped the award for Best Floral Display for its imaginative and immersive arrangement of sprawling tentacles, inspired by Jules Vernes’ Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Kiki McDonough’s bubble-blowing, blossoming octopus won Highly Commended, as did Smythson for its imaginative interpretation of Ernst Heinrich Philipp’s botanical studies. Marshall Wace won the innovation award for its clever and emotive display, curating fresh flowers with salvaged rubbish to highlight the damage caused by single-use plastic.

A further 32 boutiques were awarded gold, including Walpole Street Practice, which has playfully erected a friendly shark outside its practice, and Sarah Chapman, who has adorned her clinic with ethereal jellyfish and a voluptuous mermaid. You can still vote for The People’s Champion Award 2019, which will be announced this Friday 24 May.

Hackett, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Marshall Wace, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Kiki McDonough, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Salon Sloane, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

J Crew, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Rabbit, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Rixo, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Space NK, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Sarah Chapman, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Hans’ Bar & Grill, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Boodles, Chelsea in Bloom 2019

Belmond Hotel, Chelsea in Bloom 2019