This year’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show, which takes place from 22 to 26 May, will focus on cutting edge science and technology as the Discovery Zone returns.

© RHS / Georgi Mabee

From the increasing threat posed by pests and diseases to the benefits of bees, the Discovery Zone will offer visitors the chance to get up close and personal with a wide variety of educational exhibits. Ten stands will champion the latest in gardening science and technology, and interactive displays will explore the threat of invasive plants and pests, how to utilise your outdoor space and highlight the benefits of beekeeping

Significant anniversaries will also be celebrated and explored at this year’s show, including a decade of Help for Heroes, which supports wounded veterans and their families, and a 70th anniversary celebration of the voyage of the famous MV Empire Windrush from the Caribbean to Tilbury Docks.

Held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London since 1913, RHS Chelsea is the world's most famous flower show. Nowhere makes gardening more fashionable, with a catwalk of colour and creativity, the biggest and brightest ideas, the latest plant trends and the pinnacle of garden design.

© RHS / Georgi Mabee

Katherine Potsides, Show Manager for RHS Chelsea Flower Show, said: "The RHS Chelsea Flower Show shines a spotlight on the world of gardens, plants and flowers for five glorious days every May. We’re lucky to welcome some of the greatest designers, plantspeople and floral artists to the show who bring their creativity, ideas and inspiration to share with its visitors, not to mention the millions watching, reading and listening in around the world.”

One of the biggest attractions at RHS Chelsea are the spectacular gardens. Unrivalled in their ability to create the extraordinary, the Show Gardens display the largest and most outstanding designs, acting as perfect examples of horticultural excellence and innovative landscape design. New for 2018, the Space to Grow Gardens offer original ideas, trends and take-home messages to inspire visitors to transform their outdoor spaces and feel the benefits that growing can bring. 

At the heart of the Show lies the Great Pavilion, which not only plays host to almost 100 nurseries, new and old, but also houses the Discovery Zone. Highlights of this year’s Discovery Zone include the Animal and Plant Health Agency, who will reveal the importance of oak trees and the iconic part they play in the British countryside, and the charity Bees for Development, which helps some of the poorest people in the world to keep bees and break out of poverty by using honey and beeswax to create income to pay for food and education.

© RHS / Georgi Mabee

Birmingham City Council, who have exhibited in the Great Pavilion with consecutive gold medals since 2011, make their Discovery Zone debut with a vibrant display in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the voyage of HMT Empire Windrush from the Caribbean to Tilbury in Essex.

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, said: “We’re eagerly anticipating this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, one of the greatest flower shows in the world! As always, there is sure to be an inspirational mix of plant exhibitions and show gardens to whet the appetite of gardeners and garden-lovers everywhere.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a garden tour of the UK and Ireland, taking in some of the finest gardens, and leading shows such as Chelsea, please do contact us.