Chelsea - the world’s greatest flower show
The show is held annually for five days in May
It has been held at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea since 1913
This will be the 85th show to be held at this site
Originally known as the Great Spring Show, it was first held in Kensington in 1862
Organisation
RHS staff, exhibitors and contractors start planning for the show 18 months in advance
Work is already underway for the show in 2009
It takes 800 people three and a half weeks to build the show
Construction of the show includes 5km of piping, 185 toilets and enough canvas to cover six football pitches
The Great Pavilion covers nearly 12,000 sq m
Around 250 new plants have been launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show over the past four years.
17,000 sq m of turf is re-laid after the show
The showground covers 11 acres
The visitors
157,000 visitors will attend the show. This is a capped figure and represents full capacity of the showground
The RHS currently has more than 370,000 members and the Tuesday and Wednesday are reserved for RHS members.
Non-members can purchase tickets for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Members of the Royal Family make a private visit to the show on the Preview Day (Monday).
Catering
During show week, 49,000 glasses of Pimms, and 5,000 bottles of champagne, 54,000 cups of tea and coffee and 28,000 sandwiches are sold.
Sodexho Prestige is the official caterer of the Chelsea Flower Show.
Press/PR Guides
Who can help
What we need to know
Getting started
Key show details
What happens on Press Day
Television and radio
RHS website and The Garden
How to: Write a press release
How to: Choose a good photograph
How to: Contact the press
How to: Arrange a photocall
How to: Make a press pack
How to: Sell show tickets on your website
How to: Attract a sponsor
The exhibitors
There are around 600 exhibitors at the show. This includes: 22 show gardens; 22 small gardens, including courtyard gardens and urban gardens; 100 floral exhibitors in the Great Pavilion; approximately 300 garden product exhibitors.
International exhibitors come from countries as far away as the Sweden, Barbados, Sri Lanka, France, Holland, Germany, Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago and Zimbabwe.
Some exhibitors such as Nottcutts, Kelways and McBean’s Orchids have exhibited at the show since its early days.
Top name garden designers creating gardens at the show include Tom Stuart-Smith, Arabella Lennox-Boyd, Cleve West, Shao Fan, Diarmuid Gavin, Andy Sturgeon.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show Awards
And the winners are...
View the complete list of award and medal winners
Panels of selected RHS judges - all experts in their field - complete the judging of gardens, floral exhibits and other horticultural exhibits before the show opens to members on the Tuesday.
All exhibits are judged using standard criteria - they are not judged against each other.
There is no limit to the number of medals the judges can award.
There are four grades of medal that can be awarded:
Gold
Silver-Gilt
Silver
Bronze
These medals (with the exception of the Gold Medal which is not further qualified) are available in the following ranges according to the type of exhibit:
Show Gardens, Small Gardens, Flowers and Ornamental Plants are awarded in the FLORA medal range.
Exhibits of Fruit are awarded in the HOGG medal range.
Exhibits of Vegetables are awarded in the KNIGHTIAN medal range.
Exhibits of Special Scientific or Educational Interest are awarded in the LINDLEY medal range.
Exhibits of Pictures, Photographs, Floral Arrangements and Floristry are awarded in the GRENFELL medal range.
Special Awards at the 2008 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
The President's Award: Given to an exhibitor in the Great Pavilion selected by the RHS President, Peter Buckley, as his personal favourite.
The Best Show Garden Award
The Best Courtyard Garden Award
The Best Urban Garden Award
The RHS Floral Design Trophies: For the best exhibits of floral designs staged in sessions one and two.
The RHS Junior Display Trophies: For the best exhibit of a collage and the runner-up.
Special awards may be made to exhibits that demonstrate an exceptionally creative approach, at the discretion of the judging panel.
Sundries*: Sundries stands are assessed at the show and Chelsea Flower Show Certificates of Merit and Certificates of Commendation are given for exhibits staged to exceptionally high standards of presentation.
In addition Chelsea Sundries Trophies may be awarded to one or two exhibits whose standards of presentation are considered outstanding.
* These Certificates and Trophies are awarded for excellence of presentation and are not an RHS endorsement of the products or services on display.
Sponsorship
The UK’s leading gardening charity - dedicated to the encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches.
“The RHS has been inspiring gardeners since 1804 and we intend to do so for many years to come. But there is so much more we would like to do. It is only with the help of partners from the world of business that we can continue to fulfil our mission as Britain's leading gardening charity. We have so much to offer in return for their commitment.”
Peter Buckley, President
The Royal Horticultural Society
How the world’s greatest gardening events can benefit your business
Your invitation to meet Britain’s gardeners
Gardening has always been Britain’s favourite pastime, but in the last decade or so it has become a phenomenon - the inspiration for everything from peak time TV programmes to multi-million pound retail concepts.
At the heart of this major consumer market are the great gardening events of the Royal Horticultural Society - including the world famous Chelsea Flower Show.
At each event the RHS sets the standards in horticulture by bringing together new ideas and the very best plants, products and people with a rigorous commitment to quality. Now, that gardening is firmly established in the mainstream, more companies from outside the world of horticulture are discovering that RHS flower shows can work hard for them; they deliver high returns on investments made in activities undertaken at these prestigious events.
Take part in any RHS show and your company or brand will be associated with quality, creativity, tradition and all the excitement of a major event which enjoys national media attention.
More specifically, you get the chance to promote your company, product or service to an audience of upmarket garden devotees. RHS shows are famous for attracting members of the Royal family, politicians, captains of industry and celebrities from the arts and showbusiness.
Alongside them, around 700,000 enthusiasts visit, many of them affluent people who make up much of the Royal Horticultural Society’s membership. Millions more enjoy the shows through the RHS website, national press coverage and dedicated television and radio programmes.
The events are powerful vehicles for presenting your organisation, brand, product or service to a targeted audience. Corporate hospitality at RHS flower shows comes in all shapes and sizes - from gala previews to hospitality chalets - but it is always memorable, colourful and stylish.
To capitalise on your investment call the Shows Development Manager on 020 7821 3087 or sponsorship@rhs.org.uk.
Shows Development Manager
Shows Department
The Royal Horticultural Society
80 Vincent Square
London
SW1P 2PE