Show Information
Show Facts
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2005
24 - 28 May 2005
Public tickets: 0870 906 3781
RHS Member tickets 0870 906 3780
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 83rd show to be held at this site
Originally known as the Great Spring Show, it was first held in Kensington in 1862
The Exhibitors
There are around 600 exhibitors in total
In 2005 the show will feature:
19 show gardens
9 chic gardens
10 courtyard gardens
6 city gardens
8 Sunflower Street gardens
More than 100 floral exhibitors
International exhibitors come from countries as far away as the USA, Barbados, Sri Lanka, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Australia, Jamaica, South Africa and Trinidad & Tobago, Hong Kong, India and Zimbabwe.
Some exhibitors such as Nottcutts, Kelways and McBean’s Orchids have exhibited at the show since its early days.
Exhibits are judged by specialist RHS Judging Panels before the show opens, and awarded Gold, Silver-Gilt, Silver and Bronze Medals.
Organisation
RHS staff, exhibitors and contractors start planning for the show 18 months in advance
Work is already underway for the Show in 2006
It takes 800 people 3.5 weeks to build the show
Construction of the show includes 5km of piping, 185 toilets and enough canvas to cover 6 football pitches
The Great Pavilion covers nearly 12,000 sq m
7,000 sq m of turf is relayed 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 350,000 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 the course of the week 6,500 bottles of champagne, 18,000 glasses of Pimms, 5,000 lobsters, 110,000 cups of tea and coffee and more than 28,000 rounds of sandwiches are sold.
Sodexho Prestige is the official caterer of the Chelsea Flower Show.