The Chelsea Flower Show is not only the largest event for international garden designers and landscape companies, but also a must for garden enthusiasts and amateur gardeners. Some of the most incredible show gardens are on display there, professionally designed down to the smallest detail and dealing with a specific theme. These garden worlds, created with creativity and experience, also provide plenty of inspiration for your own garden. So if you need some new gardening inspiration then you've come to the right place as we've got all the key trends from the Chelsea Flower Show covered. From plants to design to landscaping, we've rounded up the best 2018 garden trends seen at this year's award-winning gardens.
Garden trends 2018 – It’s all about yellow
This year there was an abundance of yellow blooms at the Chelsea Flower Show. Pastel and sunny yellow garden accessories as well as lemon trees adorned the gardens. The lively color brings sunshine into the garden – visually and in terms of mood. By the way, it creates a great atmospherethe color duo “yellow-blue”.
Sculptures take center stage
Striking sculptures andArt installations are at RHS Chelseaseen frequently and this year is no exception. Even with a reduced design language, garden figures are always an eye-catcher. Think about how you can beautify your own garden with a striking sculpture. For example, you can give a fountain or a pond an individual touch.
International influences in garden decoration
Although the flower fair takes place in London's Chelsea district, the designers draw inspiration from locations around the world for each garden design. For the British Council Garden, designer Sarah Eberle was inspired by the Mughal gardens of northern India and used traditional Pietra Dura mosaic for the impressive partition walls.
Designer Jo Thompson, meanwhile, uses the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi to create a winding flagstone path through her Wedgwood flower garden. The stunning walkway references the repair of broken porcelain by filling the cracks with precious metal, celebrating the history of the piece rather than denying its past.
Tom Massey’s “Lemon Tree Trust” garden also has an oriental-like atmosphere. He was inspired by traditional Islamic symbols for both the planting and the pavilion and integrated oriental elements into the garden design.
Lupins are the trend plants of the year
The lupine, the favorite in the English garden, is celebrating its comeback and has recently become a trend plant. Their dense flower candles were everywhere at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. These beautiful perennials delight the eye from May to August and grow to a height of 80-100 cm. These summer perennials are easy to grow, require little care and are also suitable as cut flowers for the vase.
Lupins come in a variety of colors – from yellow and red to pink and blue. The sunny yellow lupins “Desert Sun” and the Lupinus “Beefeater” variety, which shines with its strong cherry-red flower spikes, form a great color combination.
Fingerhüte (Digitalis)
In addition to lupins, foxgloves also appeared everywhere at the flower fair. Foxgloves were not only popular as an ornamental plant in many show gardens, but could also be seen in floral arrangements at trade stands, in vases and even on fabrics. They are often used in mixed bouquets, but also look good individually in zinc pots or vintage vases. They have a good shelf life and will last at least 10 days in a floral arrangement.
Metal elements, especially Corten steel in the garden
Metal garden elements are taking a central place in the garden this year. With their interesting design language, they stand out well among the plantings and have a significant impact on the overall picture. Tony Woods has a number of beautiful structures made from laser cutCorten steel in his gardenused, highlighted by the purple and deep red tones of the plants. Many other designers have also used Corten steel as a main element in their design.
Create mood
Mark Gregory's 'Welcome to Yorkshire' garden is one of the most atmospheric spaces ever created at the Chelsea Flower Show. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it calms you down and gives you a great vibe. With the distant sound of sheep and the plaintive cry of the curlew in the background, you will quickly be transported to the county. Every garden designer tries to create an authentic atmosphere.
So when you decide on a specific theme for your own garden, don't just focus on a consistent look, but transform the design into a delight for all the senses. Sparkling water, for example, creates an atmosphere for relaxation and is a sensual element for any garden.
Kitchen gardens are also very trendy
Due to changing lifestyles and lack of garden space, theso-called urban gardeninggained popularity. It's no surprise that this features at the Chelsea Show as a design element in gardens large and small. In his Middle Eastern-inspired garden, Tom Massey showcased a concrete block wall planted with herbs and exotic fruit trees, including lemon, pomegranate and fig trees.
Kate Savill and Tamara Bridge used botanicals that are actually found in Warner Edwards Gin as ingredients, including rhubarb and juniper. Tony Woods showed a living wall of edible flowers, herbs, lettuce and soft fruit. In Catherine MacDonald's Seedlip Garden, the humble garden pea was at the center of her design.
Water features
This year there were many designs with large-scale water installations. Whether it's a tranquil pond, a bubbling stream or fountains, water is a truly popular garden feature. The Wuhan Water Gardens even used water mist systems.
Romantic cottage garden plants
Feminine, floral and romantic – classic cottage garden plants are always popular at Chelsea and in 2018 they returned in abundance. Jonathan Snow contrasts the dark foliage of Mediterranean plants with splashes of color such as roses, salvias and star umbels. Nic Howard combines peonies, irises and geraniums to create a colorful overall look. Marigolds, roses, tulips and poppies in Sarah Eberle's garden provided a boost of energy.
Vertical planting
We already know the “vertical garden” trend. The green walls are perfect not only for small gardens, but also for balconies. New methods of vertical planting were presented in many gardens at the flower fair. For example, by using stacked concrete blocks or shelves on which individual cans or plastic bottles hang as herb containers. Green walls are typically flat and relatively two-dimensional, but the vertical planting at the exhibition was full of depth and texture.
The vertical planting trend is proving useful as gardening space becomes increasingly scarce in our cities, but the desire for greenery and home-growing continues to grow. The Lemon Tree Trust Garden also gives great ideas that you can implement in your own garden. Pipes can be filled with lettuce and kohlrabi, while herbs and strawberries can be planted in old cans.
The many faces of the rose
Of course, roses cannot be missed at the Chelsea Flower Show. This year, however, the trend was towards flat flowers. Roses like White Star and the amazing Jacqueline Du Pre fascinate with their simple beauty and perfectly embody the mood of midsummer. These hardy rose varieties are perfect for pollinators as they provide them with a rich source of nectar.
The color of the year purple is coming into the garden
If "Ultra Violet" is Pantone's color of the year for 2018, it's a coincidence that shades of purple dominated this year's Chelsea Flower Show. Purple, bronze and rust are on trend this year alongside yellow, orange and deep red. Jo Thompson creates a sense of elegance and sophistication with a color palette inspired by the patterns on Wedgwood porcelain. Kate Gould uses a combination of plum, blush and green tones in her New West End Garden. Catherine MacDonald combines beautiful reds, yellows and purples to highlight the green of the pea plants. Tony Woods used purple and maroon to showcase the depth of color of the Corten steel. Tom Massey planted deep purple irises in front of a gray concrete wall.
Benches look like sculptures
Benches with an artful curved shape can be seen in Nic Howard's gardens and in Kate Savill and Tamara Bridges' garden for the Warner Edwards distillery. The Howards bench was inspired by the structure of DNA and stood amidst colorful plants.
The peony
The popular peonies are another important highlight of the flower fair. These extravagant flowers exude nostalgia and embody the decadence of midsummer. There is an obvious shift towards the classic varieties and traditional colors such as red, coral pink and pure white.
Natural stone accents
In addition to metal, natural stone also had a place of honor. Natural stone blocks with rough structures served as a bench and side table in Jo Thompson's garden. The bubbling stream bed and stepping stones in the “Welcome to Yorkshire” garden were so realistically designed that you almost thought they came from a high mountain river.
