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When we moved to the UK, visiting the Chelsea Flower show was on my ‘must do’ list. Held over 5 days in the stunning grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, this show has been running since 1913. It is Britain’s most prestigious garden show and considered the gardening enthusiasts Mecca. I’ve loved watching it on TV each year and seeing appearances from the Queen and celebrities being interviewed in front of the stunning gardens.
However, I haven’t always been a garden lover. My mother is a passionate gardener and life long member of her local garden club. When we were kids, she used to drag us around public gardens, bribing us with ice cream to placate us. I never understood what she saw in it. There were periods where I would decide to have my own garden, so my mum would patiently help me clear the weeds and plant it with flowers. But I never looked after it, and it wasn’t long before it was overrun with weeds and mum was having to take over. When I went to university, my mother gave me two flowering African Violets and my Aunt gave me an ‘unkillable’ cactus. Within a few months the cactus was dead, and the violets had stopped flowering, never to flower again for the entire four years of my university life. I like to pride myself on the fact that they at least survived, although I honestly don’t know how. After University I moved overseas, so left my violets with my mother. Within a couple of months, under my mother’s tender loving care, the violets were in full bloom.
But as time passed and I got my own home, I actually found myself being drawn to gardening. Not only do I enjoy growing both my own veg and flowers, I also love to spend my weekends visiting gardens, so was very keen to visit Chelsea Flower Show. However, the whole trip can be very expensive, so not only am I going to tell you about my Chelsea Flower Show experience, but I’m also going to share with you my tips for making the trip more affordable.
How to Save Money on Your Trip to Chelsea Flower Show
Travel: If you are getting to Chelsea by train, then we all know how horrendously expensive train travel is in the UK. When we first looked at ticket prices online it was going to cost £80 per person each way, so that would have been a total of £320 just on transport for a weekend away! We have flown to Morocco for less than that. Uuuugghh the UK train system frustrates me. Anyway, I set up a price alert on the Trainline website, but you need to do this a long way in advance because the cheap tickets tend only to become available 12 weeks before the departure date. However, it is worth the forward planning because we ended up getting tickets for £14 one way and £18 the other, so saved £256!
Accommodation: Accommodation in London, particularly Chelsea, is expensive. However, there are a few reasonably priced options, but again, you need to book in advance to get these few places. Renting an apartment is an affordable option which also provides you the ability to prepare your own food which will really save you money. Here are some reasonably priced options in the Chelsea area.
Tickets: The Chelsea Flower Show runs from Tuesday to Saturday. To ensure you get a ticket in time, book your Chelsea Flower Show tickets on the RHS website in advance. Tickets are expensive, however, there are several options to consider that can make it more affordable.
- If you are an RHS member, you can get discounted tickets.
- All day tickets are the most expensive, but there are limited time tickets available that offer much cheaper entry fees from Tuesday to Friday at 3.30pm and then 5.30pm.
- They only sell all day tickets for Saturday, so it is much cheaper to visit on one of the weekdays. This time of year in London is daylight savings, so it is light to about 9pm, so the later tickets still provide you plenty of light hours.
Buying plants: At the end of the Chelsea Flower Show there are many bargains to be had as sellers are desperate to get rid of their wares before heading home. Although Saturday is one of the more expensive ticket days (as you can only purchase all day passes), it is when you get the best prices. However, we visited on the Friday evening and items were already being marked down, so you can still get a bargain on the Friday afternoon.
Food and drink: As you may expect, food and drink are very expensive at Chelsea Garden Show. As it is usually hot at this time of year so take a water bottle with you. Save money on food by taking a picnic with you.
Visiting Chelsea Flower Show
We visited on the Friday afternoon. It was gloriously hot and sunny as we headed in. We decided to start our visit at the outside garden displays and watched as the designers were being interviewed on TV. Each garden took us to a unique place, from formal gardens to natural seaside cottage gardens. I really enjoyed the interactive sensory garden where the sound vibrations that could be felt underfoot and caused ripples in the water. But my favourite gardens were the less formal, natural cottage gardens.
As well as the outdoor garden displays, there was also a huge flower exhibition in the covered Great Pavilion, with gorgeous, colourful displays of flowers in full bloom. As well as the themed displays there were also lots of exhibitors with their collections on show hoping to capture the attention of passersby with their blooms. If I had a bigger garden, then I think I would have ended up walking away with bags of bulbs and plants. There were so many different varieties to choose from, but some of my favourites were the many cactus in bloom, the roses, and my all-time favourite, the alliums.
Afterwards, we strolled past the many exhibitors selling everything from garden furniture, garden tools and sculptures to greenhouses. There was a variety of food and drinks to choose from around the grounds, but as you may expect, quite expensive. However, there were a number of lovely spots to enjoy a picnic, so if you’re on a budget, bring along your own food. We treated ourselves to an ice cream and the obligatory Pimms as we took in the beautiful gardens.
This was a wonderful British experience and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The surrounding area also gets involved with their shop fronts decorated with garden themes. Despite it being very busy when we arrived, which made it difficult to get in close to the exhibits, it did quieten down as the afternoon wore on. If you are wanting less crowds, then I recommend visiting either early morning (as British people are not early risers) or later in the afternoon.
Practical Tips for Visiting Chelsea Flower Show
- Tickets: This is a popular event, so book in advance from the official RHS website.
- How to get there: Chelsea is in London city, so is easily accessible using the local buses or underground.
- What to wear: Comfy shoes and if it is scheduled to be a sunny day, smother yourself in sunscreen and wear sunnies, sunhat, and wear light summer clothing. However, if the weather looks a bit iffy, take an umbrella and light coat.
- Toilets: There are toilets available onsite.
- Food and drink: There is plenty of food and drink, including alcoholic, to enjoy, but at a cost. If you are on a budget, then take a picnic along with you.
- Language: English
- Currency: British pound
- Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
- Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets take a three pronged plug only used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in the United Kingdom as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
Accommodation Options in Chelsea
Chelsea is a lovely area, with boutique shopping, and quality cafe’s and restaurants to choose from. The buildings are particularly attractive in this area, however, it is expensive to stay here, as it is anywhere in London.
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But Wait, There’s More…
If You Love Chelsea Flower Show, Then Visit Kew Gardens…
If you love visiting beautiful gardens, then whilst in London I thoroughly recommend that you visit the wonderful Kew Gardens. This place is huge and we ended up spending an entire day out here, enjoying a picnic in the heart of the park and even a pleasant afternoon nap in the sun. The park features a huge range of attractions from a Victorian glasshouse, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, art gallery, and Japanese gardens. My personal favourites were the Kew Palace and Royal Kitchens (the summer home of King George III), the Treetop Walkway and the Hive, a huge multi-sensory art installation that you stand inside and makes you feel like you are in the heart of a bee hive.
- How to get there: We took the tube to Kew Gardens station and then walked 500m to the Victoria Gate entrance. The tube is in Zone 3 and is served by the District Line (Richmond branch) and London Overground. You can also take the train to Kew Bridge station and walk 800m to the Elizabeth Gate entrance, the South West Trains run services from Waterloo, via Vauxhall and Clapham Junction. There is also bus 65 which stops at Victoria and Lion Gate; route 391 stops near Kew Gardens station; and routes 237 and 267 stop at Kew Bridge station.
- Opening times: Kew Gardens opens daily at 10am and closes at 7pm.
- Tickets: You will need to pay for entry which are rather pricey at £17.75, however, you can save money if you purchase them online. We saved money by taking advantage of the 2 for 1 deal that the National Rail offer when you purchase a National Rail train ticket. You can check if your ticket can be used on their 2 for 1 deals here, then simply download the voucher from their days out guide website.
- Where to eat: We took a picnic with us, but if you prefer you can enjoy one of their onsite restaurants:
- At Victoria Gate is the Victoria Plaza café and shop
- At Elizabeth Gate is Orangery restaurant
- At Brentford Gate is White Peaks café and shop
- At Lion Gate is the Pavilion restaurant, but it is open open over the summer
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