Has Chelsea gone to the dogs? No, of course not, but dogs were a big part of this year’s event. Celebrity gardener Monty Don who is the host of ‘Gardener’s World’ on the BBC designed his first garden for the iconic Chelsea Flower Show this year receiving accolades from visitors, the media and visiting dogs.
Monty Don was helped in the design and creation of the garden by colleague Jamie Butterworth, and Monty’s dog Ned, whose explorations helped the human designers layout the meandering paths through the garden.
The design was put to the test on press day (the day before the public enters and traditionally awash with celebrities) when celebrity pooches romped in the space. They left chewed tennis balls, a very muddy lawn and muddy paw prints on designer clothes, but apparently all the dogs, including Monty’s golden retriever Ned, enjoyed the garden.
To make it dog friendly, dog-loving Monty made extra wide paths with soft surfaces, selected pooch-safe plants and used low, multi-branching native UK trees such as hazel and medlar, which created shady spots. The designers also built a stream with a wide but shallow pool for what Monty described as “wallowing” and an oversized kennel cum outdoor sitting area with dog beds and comfy sofas.
The garden is to be rebuilt at the Battersea Dog and Cat Home (not far from the Chelsea Flower Show site).
It’s all about birds too
Dogs weren’t the only animal in the spotlight at the show. One designer also created a bird-friendly garden dedicated to Britain’s declining songbird populations and titled ‘The SongBird Survival Garden’, the garden was part of the All About Plants section of gardens.
Songbird numbers have halved in just two generations said the designer, Nicola Oakey, who hopes her design will inspire gardeners to think more about the UK’s native birds.
As well as including food plants and water to attract birds, the garden featured prickly plants as safe havens.
The main structural feature of the garden however was what took the garden to Chelsea level. A small building, made from reclaimed materials, was created as a hide with circular windows for bird watching. Some of the windows were decorated with metal cutouts featuring songbirds. Ironically three of those birds, greenfinches, skylarks and starlings, are introduced species in Australia with starlings in particular considered pest species.
Best in Show award
While Monty’s Dog Garden wasn’t part of the competition for medals, there were plenty of Show Gardens vying for awards. Best in Show for 2025 was a Japanese tea garden designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara. The garden featured a tea house made from recycled timber, raked gravel and Japanese plants including maples and mosses. The garden also won a gold medal and was voted People’s Choice. See a full list of medal winners here.
Plants winning gold
This year a rare Western Australin sun orchid also won gold a display in the Grand Pavilion. The orchid was part of an eye-catching exhibit named ‘Orchids in the Wild – The Orchids of Asia and The Pacific exhibit’, which was assisted by WA botanist Kingsley Dixon who is Professor of Botany the University of WA. Orchids from Hong Kong, South China, Singapore and Hawaii were also in the display. See more here.
Chelsea Flower Show is also where the Plant of the Year is announced. This year’s winner from a field of 18 is a small pink philadelphus called ‘Petite Perfume Pink’. The pink flowers fade with age to pale pink with a dark pink centre. It is the first true pink philadelphus.
Second place went to a new orange-flowered salvia called ‘Tropical Sunrise’ and third was a narrow-leafed variegated hosta with the name of ‘Silly String’. See more here.
See more of Chelsea
Enjoy the spectacle of Chelsea from the comfort of home via the magic of extensive television coverage from BBC 1 and 2 shared via YouTube and streaming services including Britbox, along with online stories in gardening magazines. The media can also gain access to photographs and media releases via the Media portal on the RHS website.
If you have photos or a firsthand account of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, please send it to webmaster@hmaaustralia.com.au.
