Why The Chelsea Flower Show 2026 is showcasing weeds

The Chelsea Flower Present 2026 is at the moment underway, offering oodles of aspirational backyard inspo and concepts, however the principle factor we’ve seen this 12 months? Nothing is neat!

In addition to setting the backyard traits for the 12 months, the Chelsea Flower Present is an excellent excuse for the wealthy and well-known to don their gladrags, while ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over completely polished backyard shows. Nonetheless, this 12 months, whereas the present gardens nonetheless look unimaginable, they’re something however polished; they’re celebrating naturalistic planting, a wild, overgrown aesthetic, and a few of them are even embracing weeds.

This 12 months, Chelsea is demonstrating that you do not want neat border concepts for a show-stopping backyard. As an alternative, they’re making a case for taking a stroll on the wild aspect with gloriously low-maintenance gardens that look effortlessly attractive. And actually, we’re right here for it!

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‘Wild, naturalistic planting is a large theme at this 12 months’s Present. Weeds, notably nettles, are concerned somewhat than excluded from just a few of the gardens, and there are some actually fairly flowering varieties like buttercups, too,’ says Splendid House’s Gardens Editor, Sophie King.

It’s maybe unsurprising that low-maintenance, wild gardens are coming into pattern – it’s the month of No Mow Might, in any case. Supporting a wholesome, thriving wildlife backyard and ecosystem, there are many advantages to leaving your backyard slightly wild. However, for a lot of gardeners, a messy backyard can look off-putting.

What the Chelsea Flower Present is showcasing this 12 months is which you could obtain wildlife-friendly, low-maintenance gardens that look stunning, too. Listed here are the three fundamental methods we’ve noticed this pattern being embraced at The Chelsea Flower Present 2026.

1. Have a good time weeds

Yep, you’re listening to me proper. Weeds are in every single place at Chelsea this 12 months. There’s even a devoted backyard championing many vegetation we might deem weeds: The Marketing campaign to Defend Rural England Backyard: On the Edge. This backyard, designed by Sarah Eberle options naturalistic planting that celebrates native UK vegetation and focuses on ignored countryside on the edges of our cities and cities.

‘We have got dandelions in right here. We have got milk thistle, and we have got nettles,’ says Sarah. ‘ there are over 40 species of invertebrates which are supported by nettles. The milk thistle offers early hen meals, notably finches, and the dandelions give early meals for pollinators. And so, , they’re all actually essential.’

Sarah explains that you just don’t need to dedicate your complete backyard to weeds. It may be so simple as leaving slightly patch to assist wildlife thrive. And she or he additionally factors out that so-called weeds could be fairly, too.

‘There are issues like cow parsley. It’s pretty and romantic,’ she says. ‘It is pretty short-lived, however – so what – you simply lower it down, and it will seem once more because it self-seeds round. If you do not need it to, you’ll be able to lower it down earlier than it does.

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‘Nature’s natives are, , pretty. And it isn’t what you have acquired, it is how you utilize it actually.’

2. Low-maintenance grasses

‘The Gardens are brimming with decorative grasses this 12 months. They are a sensible method so as to add texture to borders and containers, and so they’ll usually hold their constructions over the winter for year-round curiosity,’ Sophie tells me.

Decorative grasses are among the finest low-maintenance vegetation for a classy backyard. Go for varieties similar to Stipa Pony Tails Decorative Grass (£11.99, B&Q) or Muhlenbergia capillaris (£9.99, Crocus), which has fairly pink plumes. At Chelsea, Sophie has noticed a great deal of Melica altissima ‘Atropurpurea’ grasses, which could be picked up for £2.75 at Plant World Seeds.

Not solely are decorative grasses usually low-maintenance, however they’re nice for wildlife, too, offering meals, shelter and nesting supplies.

3. Fill any patches with groundcover

‘Sparse borders are a uncommon sight at this 12 months’s Present. Floor cowl vegetation are massive, and I’ve noticed one in every of my favourites, Alchemilla mollis, just a few instances already. They’re a good way to suppress weeds, and so they look actually fairly, too,’ says Sophie.

When you’re much less eager on the concept of weeds within the backyard, the very best floor cowl vegetation can be utilized to suppress weeds. These low-growing vegetation are wonderful for conserving your backyard from trying sparse and patchy, in addition to supporting bugs and different backyard wildlife. Choosing flowing varieties like Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’ (£2.96, Thompson & Morgan) and Creeping Phlox (£9.99, Thompson & Morgan) means you’ll be able to fill your backyard with beautiful color, too.

Lazy gardeners ought to rejoice on the information of an ‘unpolished’ Chelsea Flower Present. Embrace weeds and low-maintenance vegetation, and your backyard wildlife will thanks – and you may belief, it’s going to nonetheless look nice, too.