Chelsea in Bloom
The fun experiences and inspiration you'll gain
Today on the Flowerlogue…
Hi Flower Friends, I’ve decided to change the day to post my weekly from a Friday to a Wednesday as the backend of the week seems to be very busy, and hopefully my posts will be a little more visible!
If you’ve stumbled across my newsletter, I’d be delighted to share my flower journeys with you, so just by click below.
If you’re in London during the last weeks in May, trust me, you’re in for something fun. Chelsea in Bloom runs alongside Chelsea Flower Show, turning the streets of Chelsea and Belgravia into an open-air floral wonderland with 100 awe-inspiring installations. Love them or not, shopfronts, hotels, and cafés draped in flowers each compete for the spotlight in London’s biggest free floral art event. Please note that all photographs in this post were taken by me.
For the past two years, my husband (aka Hubby G) and I have made this event a fun day just to wander around Chelsea. As a florist, I’m always eager to see the behind-the-scenes buzz, so I sneak a peek a day or two early to see the mechanics behind the displays. Then, once the event kicks off, it’s all about comfy shoes, an umbrella (because well this is London), a phone charger (for all the photos), and weaving through the crowds to locate all the installations.
It’s all about the unexpected for me when we travel and last year, we had a chance encounter with Henck Roling from The Big Flower Fight, who was crafting The Very Hungry Caterpillar display and we spied Trinny preparing for her store opening. The atmosphere was electric with crowds out and about enjoying the sun and all that Chelsea in Bloom and the businesses had to offer.
The 2024 theme, Floral Feast, brought some jaw-dropping interpretations of food and botanicals. Some of my absolute favorites? Granada’s Carmen Miranda-inspired colourful fruit headdress by Lover Girl, Sticks n Sushi’s boat and gigantic sushi by In Water Flowers, and The Phene’s very British design by Flojo Flowers.
Speaking of selfies—this was an Instagrammer’s (may I mention that word here?) paradise. It was a mission to get the perfect shot without a stray pedestrian, child or pet pooch sneaking into the frame. We spent nearly five hours wandering through almost all 100 displays, strategically pacing ourselves for snacks and drinks along the way.
Chelsea in Bloom, organized by Cadogan in collaboration with the RHS, grows every year. Amongst the many 2024 winners, some standouts included The Butcher’s Tap and Grill’s pirate feast ship (Innovation Award), Birley Bakery’s honeycomb and bee masterpiece (Highly Commended), and Trinny London’s lemon spectacle (People’s Champion Award).
What I love is that sustainability played a huge role last year, with many designers opting for British-grown flowers, avoiding floral foam, and repurposing materials. At the end of the Show there were blooms donated to charities like The Confetti Club, which recycles leftover petals and turns them into confetti for sale, with profits going to Cancer Research U.K. Visitors' pledges were also collected to donate to The Felix Project, fighting against hunger and food waste across London.
Beyond the floral magic, Chelsea in Bloom offers rickshaw rides, guided tours, themed menus, and exclusive shopping perks.
So, mark your calendars—Chelsea in Bloom returns 19–25 May 2025 with the theme Flowers in Fashion. If you love immersive floral art, flower inspiration and enjoying the summer weather wandering the streets of Belgravia and Chelsea, this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Have a floral event you want to share? I’d love to add it to my must see list. To all my non-substack followers, please feel free to ‘like’ this post if you’ve enjoyed it.
Last year was the first time I visited Chelsea Flower Show, the day after we wandered around Chelsea in Bloom, but didn't have much time so we didn't see that many. There was one in particular I wanted to see that I dragged my mum along to.
I never thought about going early to see the mechanics, that's genius! I found the behind the scenes almost more fascinating than the finished product.
Your post is really making me wish I was going again this year! I loved that you spent so much time doing Chelsea in Bloom, if I went back I'd do the same. Are you going this year?
It is absolutely gorgeous the way they have made so many flower decorations.