This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was filled with exciting and innovative planting schemes, so we’re taking a moment to reflect on 7 showstopping plants that we saw popping up frequently throughout the show.
Woodland planting styles, native trees and resilient varieties were just a few themes that we saw springing up around this year’s show. An eye-catching colour, orange was an extremely popular colour choice this year, with examples shown in the Stroke Association’s Garden for Recovery which included the fiery planting palette of Trollius chinensis ‘Golden Queen’. So if you’re looking to brighten up your outdoor spaces and transport Chelsea trends into your very own garden, then come with us as we uncover our top 7 plants from RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024.
1. Iris sibirica
A versatile herbaceous perennial, Siberian irises were spotted throughout many of the show gardens and displays at Chelsea this year. The variety ‘Persimmon’ was a particularly popular choice. Burgeoning a beautiful collection of indigo blooms, these trusty plants are wonderful for adding a splash of colour to any garden.
2. Kniphofia
Most commonly known as red-hot poker, the variety Kniphofia ‘Sunningdale Yellow’, in particular was seen in many gardens such as the RHS No Adults Allowed Garden. A fun and lively plant with a striking structure and luminous shade, this variety is great for adding contrast throughout a wider, vivid planting scheme.
3. Trollius chinensis
A charming clump-forming perennial, Trollius chinensis ‘Golden Queen’ was a favourite at Chelsea this year. Known as the ‘globeflower’ this bright and buttery bloom is nectar-rich and a wonderful plant for attracting pollinators into the garden.
4. Prunus ‘Starlight’
The winner of the RHS Plant of the Year 2024, Prunus ‘Starlight’ is a charming ornamental cherry that flourishes a wonderful display of bright white blooms. Resistant to frost and displaying a glorious collection of foliage, this cherry is an extremely special spring-flowering tree that can be embedded into a number of different garden styles.
5. Digitalis
Fabulous for brightening up a shady space with both height and colour, foxgloves are handy for filling your garden with visual interest. Seen at The National Garden Scheme Garden and the Muscular Dystrophy UK – Forest Bathing Garden too, these beautiful blooms are available in a number of different shades therefore it’s no surprise that foxgloves were a popular planting choice at this year’s show.
6. Acer tataricum
A beautiful shrub or small tree, Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala is a glorious drought-tolerant Acer that made a wonderful feature in The Ecotherapy Garden designed by Tom Bannister. With a palette of leaves that change from emerald green to burnt orange and then crimson in autumn, this Acer is a great planting choice that enhances your garden with year-round interest.
7. Cytisus ‘Lena’
Striking evergreen shrubs that burgeon bright orange blooms, Cytisus are common in Mediterranean garden designs due to their drought-tolerant qualities. Flowering from May to June these hardy shrubs are a glorious way to add terracotta shades throughout your garden.
Interested in bringing your garden to life with a spot of soft landscaping inspired by the latest trends seen at Chelsea? Talk to us today to discover how our planting designers could awaken your outdoor spaces with a bespoke planting scheme.
