RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 Ep3 | Medals Day Winners & Wildlife Garden Ideas

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:13]Hello and welcome to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, an event supported by Range Rover. We're back with loads of inspirational advice and top gardening tips for your garden. Now, it's medals day, so we'll be bringing you all the highlights and results from across the show ground. And you've been busy, haven't you?

[00:00:32]>> Yeah, it is such a special day. It's also a very early start because there is a buzz. Everybody wants to find out what medal they've achieved.

[00:00:39]>> Yeah, it is quite nerve-wracking. I don't know how they're doing it because if it was me, I'd be nervous. But let's discuss the great pavilion because there's so many great exhibits there as well.

[00:00:48]>> Absolutely. Everybody waiting to see how they've done.

[00:00:52]Now, our top team of gardening experts are standing by, ready to share their expertise so you can have a garden worthy of a gold medal without it costing you a fortune. Today, we'll also be showing you how to help nature flourish in your garden. The team will share ideas for beautiful naturalistic borders, inspirational water features, and budget busting containers that wildlife and your wallet will love.

[00:01:18]Visiting Chelsea today is a familiar face who is a big gardening fan. It's comedian Tom Allen.

[00:01:26]>> I love being here at Chelsea and I'm desperate to find out how to overwinter my tropical plants. Do I need to put some sort of fleece around them or something or an anorak?

[00:01:36]>> I'll be chatting with Tom about why he's fallen in love with gardening and finding out what inspiration he's discovered later on. Wish me luck.

[00:01:48]Now I've stepped onto one of the show gardens here at Chelsea, the Adel Shaw Godard Flourish in the City Garden. And here to show us how we can be inspired by this stunning garden is our very own Rachel. It's always good to see you.

[00:02:01]>> Uh good to see you Angelica on this beautiful garden.

[00:02:03]>> It's so good cuz we're looking at how we can help nature flourish and this garden is a perfect example of that, isn't it?

[00:02:08]>> Yeah. Well, fortunately, we gardeners can really help. And here they've started with water, and that's essential because there's no life without it.

[00:02:17]Whether it's needed for drinking or for bathing, really, really important.

[00:02:21]>> And how can we bring these elements into our own garden?

[00:02:23]>> Well, you can do something really simple. Sometimes it's just having a bowl and making sure that's kept clean and refreshing it. Uh, but a little, there are lots of ways you can do it, even in a small garden, but essential to have it. Moving water is lovely and it's good for us as well. Well, we love the sound and the look of that, too.

[00:02:38]>> Yes. Really calming. Also, resilient plants. They're important, aren't they?

[00:02:42]>> Yes, resilient plants. And making sure that you can plant for all sorts of different creatures, for example. So, first of all, you want to have things that are absolutely easy to go, almost bomb-proof. And in fact, London Pride, that little saxop over there, yes, that is known and called London Pride because after the blitz, it would sort of seed itself in and start growing almost indestructible. So, things like that.

[00:03:06]the Baskamans as well. They'll selfseed and they're all providing habitats for wildlife and the flowers of course for pollinators. I love it when plants have a history, a story behind them as well.

[00:03:17]It's actually great. I've got a question from Bod. Um, she wanted to know what sort of plants and flowers are great for bees.

[00:03:25]>> Oh yes, that's a very good question. Um, ideally you should aim to have a range of different flower shapes in your garden because different bees have a different tongue length which seems extraordinary. So some of them need a nice wide open flower sort of daisy shape so that the the pollinator can get right in there. But other bees have a very long tongue and they like a tubular flower. So something like a salvia or fox glove. That means that they can really access exactly what they need. Is it also about balancing hard landscaping as well with nature and with the water and plants and thinking about that head?

[00:04:01]Very very much so. That's a really good point. So in this garden, it's about 70% plants, I think. So that's a lot of plants in the garden. And I think we don't need big paved areas. It's lovely to have something that's permeable like the gravel, but you really have to think about your hard landscaping for nature.

[00:04:21]>> So many good points there. Thank you, Rachel.

[00:04:24]Medals Day here at Chelsea is always an emotional roller coaster for the garden designers and growers as they await the allimportant results. Early this morning, just as the medals were being handed out, Nikki went to see how the designers how they fared in the smaller show gardens. Well, there is a touch of rain in the air, but it's not going to dampen our spirits because it is medals day here at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and we're going to be joining Gemma, who's giving them out.

[00:04:54]Good morning everyone.

[00:04:56]>> On behalf of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, I'm so honored to give you your silver guild medal.

[00:05:01]>> Thank you very much.

[00:05:03]>> Thank you.

[00:05:07]>> All inspired by the Royal Palaces.

[00:05:09]What's your favorite part of it?

[00:05:10]>> I think the structure that was inspired by the picnic room in Queen Charlotte's Cottage.

[00:05:16]>> I'm really honored to give you your silver guilt medal. Congratulations.

[00:05:20]>> Thank you. Thanks very much.

[00:05:23]>> Well done, Matt. Your first show garden here at Chelsea. How do you feel?

[00:05:27]>> Great. It was It was an amazing thing to be able to do. I've had such a fantastic experience. Thank you so much to all the team who've helped to build this.

[00:05:35]>> Your gold medal.

[00:05:39]>> A huge congratulations.

[00:05:42]Your third gold medal here at Chelsea.

[00:05:44]>> Yeah.

[00:05:45]>> Can you sum up what it means?

[00:05:47]>> Uh it doesn't get any easier, does it? I think there's like 135 people involved in just the build and planting. So, >> wow, that's a lot of people as well. I know, right?

[00:05:58]>> On behalf of the RHS, I am absolutely thrilled to give you your gold medal.

[00:06:14]>> Huge congratulations. And this garden is going to live on, isn't it? It's going to Northern Ireland. It is. It's going to Stravan, the first Chelsea show garden to go to Northern Ireland, >> which is wonderful. A huge congratulations to you and to the whole team. It is beautiful.

[00:06:30]>> Thank you.

[00:06:31]>> What are you going to be doing for the rest of the day?

[00:06:32]>> I don't know.

[00:06:33]>> Celebrating.

[00:06:37]>> Your gold medal.

[00:06:41]>> Thank you.

[00:06:42]>> Thoroughly deserved. Well done.

[00:06:44]>> Best day.

[00:06:45]>> What happens next after all of that? All those plaudits. I sleep for a little bit. I think I sleep.

[00:06:53]>> Silver guilt medal. Thank you so much.

[00:06:57]>> Well done, Saran Kate and William. What a collection you've got cuz it is beautiful. I do want to take home the chair. But the message behind it is so important and I know you guys are really passionate about it as well.

[00:07:10]Congratulations. Well done.

[00:07:12]>> Thank you very much.

[00:07:14]>> I'm so pleased to give you your silver medal. Thank you so much.

[00:07:19]>> Well done.

[00:07:20]>> Thank you. And I'm just so thrilled to bring the message of bat conservation to Chelsea. This lady not only is an incredible designer, but knows more about bats than anybody else I have ever met.

[00:07:33]>> Thank you so much. A thank you.

[00:07:37]>> Amazing. Thank you, >> Charlie. Well done. And tell us where is the garden going on to?

[00:07:42]>> It's going to uh form a new community center in New >> They're going to be delighted with it.

[00:07:46]It is stunning. Well done to you.

[00:07:49]>> I am absolutely thrilled to give you your gold medal.

[00:07:53]>> Oh my god, Christina.

[00:07:57]>> Look, I'm jumping in.

[00:07:58]>> Oh my god. I'm so sorry.

[00:07:59]>> No, we love this. We can just see how much it means.

[00:08:02]>> I'm never speechless, but I am today. A beautiful garden.

[00:08:06]>> Just make time for being creative. It does. It's only positive. It will only benefit your life.

[00:08:11]>> Well done.

[00:08:15]Great to see so many happy faces. All the hard work has paid off. Now I'm here on one of the large show gardens which has also won gold. The Kilick and Co seed in time garden. And Francis has popped in to help us find the clever design ideas we can take away for our own gardens. Francis, I've got to ask, is it lovely to be on someone else's garden?

[00:08:37]>> It's really lovely to be on someone else's garden. And I've seen this amazing structure being put up over the last kind of 3 weeks. So, it's lovely to be here and stand in this space.

[00:08:48]>> Well, it has one goal.

[00:08:50]>> There's always elements that we would like to take home. What catches your eye here with this design?

[00:08:55]>> There's a lot here and it's really all beautifully executed. But what I like a lot is the seating area. So, we have this beautifully placed underneath the shelter so we don't get rained on when you're sitting down. But also things we don't always think about is the view out of the seating area. So there's a window onto this wildlife hedge from the seat.

[00:09:14]Lovely. It makes it a beautiful feature.

[00:09:16]Yeah. So whenever you're placing your seats in your garden, think about yes, where it's practical, but also what you're going to be looking at.

[00:09:21]>> Yes. Cuz this is designed with a family in mind, isn't it? I mean, I can hear trickling water. Here it is running past me. It's beautiful. It is capturing water, but in such a stylish way. It's lovely. And it gives the chance for wetland planting as well. So we've got some wetland planting here. Yes. But then is that more cottagey? Is to my eye.

[00:09:42]>> Yeah. More woodlandy. And I think that's a lovely thing with the design of a small space is you want to create variety. So by going down and creating water there, but then the beds are all raised and mounded. You have a sunny side, you have a shady side. The plants at the top will be drier. The plants at the bottom will be wetter. And also you're creating potential homes for solitary bees to nest in as well. So you're you're really maximizing everything in a tiny space.

[00:10:09]>> What a great idea. So if you have a garden that might be liable to flooding, having that mound can really work on all different levels.

[00:10:16]>> Absolutely. So where I live in the southwest, we get a lot of rain. Raising up means you can kind of grow the drier adapted plants.

[00:10:23]>> And what about the the shrubs and the trees that we've got in this garden?

[00:10:26]Again, we're always trying to encourage wildlife in, aren't we?

[00:10:29]>> Yeah. I mean, there are loads. And there's lots of native shrubs and trees.

[00:10:33]Um, but also that creates shade. And what I like about this garden is the gravel. This is crushed shells and it's really pale in color. So where you've created shade with the building and with the trees, you're then bouncing the light back up with this really lovely and very affordable um crushed shell aggregate. Do you know what? I love the sound of it. It slightly crunches, doesn't it? The contrast between that and the water as well. So, if there's one thing you'd like to take from this garden, what would it be?

[00:11:02]>> You know, I really love this pond and the stepping stones through it. It's not always a practical idea, but in a small space actually, birds will use it.

[00:11:12]Insects will use it to drink. Having water is a really, really important thing. And if you can make it this beautiful, >> yes, >> I think it would be amazing. It is so beautiful. Francis, thank you so much.

[00:11:24]Now, these plants, well, they are truly superb, and we'd all love to own flowers to match them. Angelica's been in the great pavilion, seeking tips from the masters on growing some of our favorites.

[00:11:37]Today, we're putting one of Britain's best love flowers in the spotlight, the fabulous fox glove. I'm here with Mary Baker from the Botanic Nursery, who knows a thing or two about growing these statuesque beauties. And you do know a thing or two.

[00:11:50]>> I sure do. Yes. Yes. Fantastic display.

[00:11:53]I mean, fox gloves, they can grow to 2 m high, don't they?

[00:11:57]>> They're stunning, actually. They have that wonderful vertical accent in the garden and but there's lots of different sorts of fox gloves, so you can be stumped when you're out buying them, especially from the garden centers and things, and you get tempted by the beauty of them. So, if you want those tall statuesque ones that we've been talking about, then you need to be looking for something that's called a digitis perura. And that's our native bienial. It covers all of Northern Europe. So it's it's quite widespread in its distribution.

[00:12:22]>> So if you wanted to start growing Fox Glass, what's the best entry level um variety you should go for?

[00:12:27]>> Definitely enter with any of the digits per preparer sort or you can use the modern F1 hybrids. And the thing I would often suggest an F1 hybrid is because they flower in their first year from seed. So many people just don't want to wait two years for the plant to send up those stunning spires. And then of course what happens to those dunning spires is that they set seed and the plant itself will actually die but you have to allow the seed to selfseed into your ground and it will only do that in certain conditions. So fox will grow in many different types of conditions in full sun in deep shade but what they love is that woodland clearing light dappled shade area and that's where they selfseed happily. Well, do you know I just want to bring in a question from Julie. She's sent this question on Facebook saying, "Are ours selfseeded, but this year they are stunted? Why?"

[00:13:16]>> Well, I think about that. It's It's most likely that if they've selfseeded in that area for quite some time quite happily, it's most likely that near that area, the shrubs in the border, other trees, anything nearby have grown up.

[00:13:29]The leaf canopy has come much more dense and they now don't have the light that they need to grow as well as they were.

[00:13:36]It could be that the soil nutrients has got a little bit poor. Maybe put some more um manure into it. They like a humus rich soil. They don't want to be in too poor a soil. Yeah.

[00:13:45]>> So I think it's more like most like just a natural thing that's occurring. If she harvests a seed and plants it elsewhere in a sunnier site again, I think that will be a better option for her.

[00:13:55]>> Now one thing that stands out on your stand is the color of the fox gloves. So vibrant. And is there a trick in knowing what color fox gloves you have from the leaves? Well, I've bought a couple of leaves just to show you. Pick them off the stand. Don't tell judges.

[00:14:09]>> Um, >> you've got you've been awarded.

[00:14:10]>> Yeah, I've got men on that, isn't it?

[00:14:12]But this only really applies to our native digitized perpia. So, if it's going to have a white flower, perfectly have a look. Lovely clear vein to the back. If there's any coloration on the vein, then you've got that lovely purple marking on it. So, you know that it's not going to be a white flower. So it could be a purple, it could be a mauve, it could be any of the sort of limey lovely yellowy pinky mauve colors that they come in.

[00:14:35]>> Amazing. So that's a little tip for us.

[00:14:36]Thank you. Right, we've got some question. Hello. Hello. Just crept up on me. We've got Sally and Caroline here.

[00:14:42]Hia.

[00:14:43]>> Hia. What's your question?

[00:14:44]>> Um, we absolutely love fox gloves in our garden for the bees. What can we do to make them flower for longer? Okay.

[00:14:51]So, if you want them to flower for longer, you probably need to be cutting down the the main flowering stem of your native form if it's the really tall ones. And that will encourage the plant to think, "Hey, I haven't flowered yet.

[00:15:03]I need to keep flowering." However, if it's already started to set seed, it's a bit tricky to do that because you're then sacrificing the top half of your seed stem, which is a great shame. But if you were to go for some of the modern hybrids that the bees absolutely adore, they don't necessarily get as high, but they have a much much longer flowering season. They've been bred to have a longer flowering season.

[00:15:25]>> Happy.

[00:15:25]>> Yeah, that really is.

[00:15:26]>> Thank you. Thank you very much.

[00:15:28]>> Mary, you need a PhD in fox gloves.

[00:15:30]You're brilliant.

[00:15:30]>> You're so we'll make it up. Now, no wonder these fox gloves impressed the judges, but there's plenty more success to shout about. Carol Klein's been scarring the great pavilion, uncovering the big medal moments.

[00:15:47]Well, everybody's been looking forward to this splendid event, the Chelsea Pl Show. But here in the Great Pavilion, this is the most exciting moment as exhibitors come in after all their hard work and find out what medal they've got. I want to see for myself.

[00:16:10]Miles, huge congratulations.

[00:16:13]>> Thank you.

[00:16:13]>> A gold. Brilliant.

[00:16:15]>> It's my fourth Chelsea. Uh I got silver in the first year, two silver guilds, and this year gold.

[00:16:21]>> But you realize you've got to keep that up, don't you?

[00:16:24]>> I will have to maintain it now.

[00:16:26]>> So, what do you think's clinched it for you this year?

[00:16:29]>> I think the display is probably fuller than before. There's more variety in it.

[00:16:34]>> Yeah. Lots of your Aces are actually grown from seed. That's really the theme of your display.

[00:16:40]>> Yes. As just to encourage people to grow aces from seed. They're really quite easy and everyone should have a go.

[00:16:47]>> Well, I think it's absolutely brilliant and you know, everybody will be growing their own aces, won't they? Put you out of business.

[00:16:54]>> Let's hope not. Yeah.

[00:17:00]>> Vicki, congratulations. A gold again.

[00:17:03]How many is that?

[00:17:04]>> It's 14. And you've only been coming for >> 16 years. 16 years.

[00:17:09]>> Yeah. It's nice to get that. Really is.

[00:17:11]So, we're really pleased.

[00:17:12]>> Yeah. I should hope you are. It's a beautiful display.

[00:17:14]>> Thank you.

[00:17:15]>> So, some of you captur regular visitors to Chelsea, aren't they?

[00:17:19]>> Some have been before, but it's very rare we do the same display twice. We're always seeking new ones out that we've got back at the at home. The Mameeria Bombacina.

[00:17:30]>> Yeah.

[00:17:30]>> That hasn't been out for quite a few years.

[00:17:33]>> Yeah. And when we did get it out, there was a lot of grits and dead leaves and stuff and dust. So, yeah. And dust.

[00:17:42]>> So, Stan had to get a hand vacuum.

[00:17:44]>> Yeah.

[00:17:45]>> And actually vacuum all the bits of rubbish out the plant.

[00:17:49]>> Vacuuming your character.

[00:17:50]>> Vacuuming the >> Yeah, that's a new idea.

[00:17:53]>> Yeah. Yeah. We don't do it very often.

[00:17:55]>> Well done.

[00:17:55]>> Thank you very much, >> Dominic. Congratulations. your very first time at Chelsea and you've won a gold medal.

[00:18:05]>> Yes, we've done very well.

[00:18:06]>> You're not the oldest exhibitor here, are you? How old are you?

[00:18:10]>> I am 27.

[00:18:12]>> Right. How long have you been doing this?

[00:18:14]>> So, I started around about 10 years ago on and off just doing the small county shows and now I've been exhibiting at the RHS shows full-time for around about four years.

[00:18:24]>> Did you ever imagine for one moment that you'd be here showing orchids? It's been my dream since I was a child to try and come to Chelsea, but get a gold was never on my list. But now that I've got one, I'm so proud.

[00:18:37]>> So, you should be. Well done.

[00:18:38]>> Thank you.

[00:18:42]>> Thanks, Carol. Good to see so many brilliant results in the great pavilion.

[00:18:46]Now, if you're looking for gold medal worthy containers to pop on your patio or window ledge that don't cost a fortune, then this is for you. I'm joined by Anna Lenbar, who's made a name for herself as the moneysaving gardener.

[00:18:59]Welcome, Anna.

[00:19:00]>> Thank you, Angelica. So lovely to be here.

[00:19:03]>> I'm really looking forward to this because I'm all about money saving as well. Having a garden, but it not costing too much.

[00:19:09]>> Totally. I'm here exactly for that reason to show people how easy it is to create the most beautiful containers full of lovely fresh herbs on a budget.

[00:19:19]>> Superb. So, we've got one here. You're going to tell me about how when you go to the supermarket, and I've done this before, you buy herbs, but sometimes they don't last that long. What can we do and how can we do it at home ourselves?

[00:19:30]>> Yes. When you propagate plants at home, they tend to do so much better. So, that's as a winner as a start because you take your own cutings, you grow them from from cutings, and they do so much better when you plant them in containers, repurposed containers, hanging baskets. So, that's that's great.

[00:19:45]>> So, we've got some mint here, and you've propagated these well, these stems here, haven't you? How do you do that?

[00:19:51]>> Yes. So, I've taken cutting of mint and I place them in a little bit of clear water. Mint tends to uh root within weeks. So, within weeks, you have fresh plants for free. You can plant them in pots and then uh place them in mixed containers, hanging baskets.

[00:20:09]>> So, any water, just water from the tap.

[00:20:10]>> Absolutely. No need to add anything. And that means that anyone can do it at home.

[00:20:15]>> I love it. So, we're going to plant some now.

[00:20:17]>> Yes. Let's take some cutings. Um, so we tend to cut just below the leaf node.

[00:20:23]But to be honest with you, mint is such an easy plant to propagate. You can simply cut anywhere. What I do, I remove the lower leaves and I place it in a little bit of clear water um for the plants to form roots. Super easy.

[00:20:38]>> So, we're going to put this in our window sill.

[00:20:40]>> Now, before you plant it, I've got a top tip. You know how sometimes when you plant mint, mint tends to takes over?

[00:20:46]>> It takes over the whole herb.

[00:20:48]>> Absolutely. your your your planter and your life as well. So, you need to plant it in the pot. You see the roots? Keep it in the pot. Yes. The roots still have the chance to gather all the nutrients, but this way you prevent it from taking over.

[00:21:02]>> So, I have been told this, but I've never done it before. I should have listened.

[00:21:07]>> Yeah, that's such a great tip. So, now we've got mint. The next thing we will plant is our lovely rosemary. Do you like rosemary?

[00:21:14]>> I love rosemary lamb in cooking.

[00:21:16]>> Oh, it's just so nice. And you know in the winter time because rosemary is an evergreen plant so you can pick your um herbs all winter long. Now do take this out of the pot. This one is better behaved than mint. So it's totally fine.

[00:21:30]Not many people know that many herbs are very easy to grow from seeds.

[00:21:34]>> Yeah.

[00:21:35]>> So what we are going to do instead of using expensive trays and pots, we will create something that looks a bit like a snail. So, what I've done is I used a recycled plastic bag. You could use uh compost bags. You can use anything. And look how simple and how rewarding cuz you just roll it like a snail.

[00:21:58]>> And you've got one you've done earlier.

[00:22:00]>> Yes, I made one before. So, look, this is your little snail. What I do, I use a little bit of twine to just fix this >> like this lovely snail. Yes. And this is the snail I met I propagated a few months ago. And look at the lovely roots. I just love this method of propagation. Can you see that this oregano selfseeded? So, not only I've got um a cutting, but I also have tiny little seedlings in this beautiful snail.

[00:22:30]>> And look, there we go.

[00:22:31]>> How lovely it is.

[00:22:32]>> Our fantastic herb window sill pot.

[00:22:35]>> Yes.

[00:22:35]>> And we've saved money >> and we feel good. And look what a great gift this could be. Herbs don't need that much water, which means that you save more money.

[00:22:44]>> Saving money on water, saving money on your plants.

[00:22:46]>> A win-win on every level.

[00:22:48]>> Now, Anna, we'll be back later in the show to plant up a glorious floral container that wildlife and also your bank balance will love. Now, if you're inspired to attract more wildlife into your garden, but don't have a lot of outside space, Chris Babin's been on the beat around the Chelsea showground, and he may have found your answer.

[00:23:10]So Sarah, Hedros in the Sky.

[00:23:13]>> Yeah.

[00:23:13]>> I mean, it sounds like a 70s pop record, doesn't it? But when you first came up with the idea, it it must have sounded pretty bonkers, wasn't it?

[00:23:21]>> Yeah. And um I wanted to raise the profile of the hedro and how important it is for nature and the fact that we've lost a lot of our hedros in the countryside over 50% since the Second World War.

[00:23:35]>> Is that right?

[00:23:36]>> Yeah. Do they lend themselves to being, you know, up high in a balcony?

[00:23:39]>> As long as you keep them um pruned, because they will just keep growing, you you'll be fine with them. The nice thing to think about is putting together as many different types of hedro plants as you can because that will bring in the biodiversity. It will bring in all the pollinators. It'll bring in your birds.

[00:23:58]>> Can you talk me through some of the different varieties you've got here?

[00:24:00]>> So, we've got hazel.

[00:24:01]>> Yeah.

[00:24:02]>> We have um Hawthorne. So the hawthornne is one of the best plants in the country in the UK to attract pollinators. So after the oak is the hawthorne. We have the gilder rose which is this beautiful white flower you get in May.

[00:24:18]>> We have field maple which has a lovely kind of acery shaped leaf and everything will have some sort of interest at different times of the year.

[00:24:27]>> Yes.

[00:24:28]>> But they all grow really well together.

[00:24:30]It's how they would grow in nature. If I wanted to do this at home, >> y >> what do I do?

[00:24:36]>> So you've got a couple of options. The cheapest option is in winter. So between October and March, >> you can buy the plants which are called native hedging plants >> very cheaply for um maybe a few pounds.

[00:24:49]>> Okay.

[00:24:50]>> And they're called bare root. There's no leaves on in that time of winter. Yes.

[00:24:54]>> And then you just pop them into your planters or into the ground.

[00:24:58]>> Okay. And then the other option is you can already buy them um in pots or in bags. Those bags you put them straight into the ground so it's instantly ready.

[00:25:08]It gives you a lot. Yeah.

[00:25:09]>> A hedge >> for for very little effort.

[00:25:12]>> For very little effort. Yeah.

[00:25:13]>> Um >> got a water feature I see in the corner there.

[00:25:16]>> Yeah. One of the best things you can ever do, no matter the size of your garden or balcony, is to put water in cuz water will attract insects and the birds. Hopefully a bird will come for a little drink when it's a bit hot one day.

[00:25:28]>> And I've noticed over my shoulder here, you've got a bug hotel.

[00:25:31]>> Yeah, it's a bee hotel.

[00:25:33]>> Bees. Yeah. Yeah. Anyone can make this.

[00:25:36]What you need to do is get some um wood that's not been treated.

[00:25:39]>> Yeah.

[00:25:40]>> And there's many holes you can get in and then Yeah. You'll start to see bees going in and out and and that's joyful to sit and watch.

[00:25:47]>> Okay, Sarah, I'm sold. But if someone wanted to do this, what's your top tip?

[00:25:53]buy native plants. Pop it in a pot, pop it in the ground, give it some water, and tell your friends about it. Because the more people that consider doing this and bringing native plants or just wildlife into the garden will benefit everybody.

[00:26:12]Thank you, Chris. Some great ideas there. Now, one of the best ways to look after pollinators in your garden is to plant flowering shrubs, which are packed with nectar. Sue Kent is back with her guide for beginner gardeners, and she's got some great varieties to get you started.

[00:26:39]Shrubs for me are the backbone of my garden. They provide structure and form and flowers throughout the year. You can tell a shrub from a tree. A tree has a single trunk and a shrub has woody branches coming from the base. And they come in all different shapes and sizes.

[00:27:00]This spectacular shrub is viburnum opulus rosum or red gelder. And that's a bit confusing because it's white at the moment, but the leaves will be red in the autumn. It's also known as the snowball tree for obvious reasons. The flowers start off green and turn white.

[00:27:19]It really doesn't need much work. It can grow to about 3 m and then you just trim it after it's flowered. I've got one of these in my garden and I love it. And if you want something to lighten up your garden and announce that spring and summer have arrived, this is the plant for you.

[00:27:41]This joyous late spring flowering shrub is sambukas or common elder. But beware, if you burn the wood from this plant, it's said that you'll see the devil. But if you plant it by your front door, you'll keep the devil away. It's a great shrub for understory planting, but it can grow to up to 6 m tall and 4 m wide. It has these wonderful creamy lace flowers which smell delicious and they taste delicious too. I use them for elderflower cordial and elderflower champagne. The other wonderful thing about it, it's great for pollinators.

[00:28:24]Lots of moths love this plant and where you get moths, you get bats because they like to eat the moths. And also door mice love them and so do I.

[00:28:41]You get a lot of flower for your money with hydrangeas.

[00:28:46]Now, this hydranger has caught my eye.

[00:28:50]This is a peniculata groundbreaker ruby hydranger and it's going to hug the ground. So, it's going to provide excellent weed suppressant.

[00:29:01]It's got beautiful white flowers and dark green leaves. I haven't seen such dark green leaves on a hydrangeanger.

[00:29:08]Now, these flowers as they get light will turn a ruby pink, which is amazing to think of. And I think how I would use it is I get quite a few of them and have a deciduous hedging edge to my garden or my border. I'm definitely going to take one home from the show.

[00:29:32]Thank you, Sue. I really love hydrangeas and I'm going to be hunting some out for myself later. Now, today we're talking about the many ways we can help nature flourish in our gardens and this exhibit from Linkage Upon Plants does just that.

[00:29:45]There are so many incredible plants here that you could put in your pond at home.

[00:29:49]It is beautiful. I mean, I love a water feature and we know it really does encourage wildlife, doesn't it? So, it doesn't matter what space you've got, whether it's a courtyard or a large garden, you can always implement it.

[00:30:00]>> Now, I've had two ponds. Have you? over my lifespan. Yeah. And they were amazing. At first I was like, what can I do with them? But there was toads there.

[00:30:08]It attracted so many insects, pollinators, dragon flies. It was really great.

[00:30:12]>> Oh, so gorgeous and so relaxing as well.

[00:30:16]>> Now, there's plenty more to come today on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, an event supported by Range Rover. I'll be chatting to comedian Tom Allen about how pottering in his garden has changed his life for the better. And we'll be revealing the exciting medal results from the large show gardens on Chelsea's famous Main Avenue.

[00:30:40]But first, our city garden design expert Flo has been to check out a courtyard garden that's packed full of ideas on how to make the most of a small space in every sense.

[00:30:56]This is a garden for all the senses. An immersive experience. Sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch, they're all catered for in this garden.

[00:31:13]And as a sensory garden staple, I don't think any garden should be without lamb's ears. It's known for being downy and soft. The very fine hairs on it make it absolutely wonderful to touch. And the licorice plant, not as downy as lamb's is, is also a lovely sensory plant. Very calming to touch. And by planting little collections of these around the garden, it means as you move through it, you can get that little touch.

[00:31:50]The dominant feature in this garden is this rain capture system. This weathered steel guttering that captures the rainwater and then directs it down through this chain into a basin of water. You could create this with a bit of imagination and ingenuity and have something that is functional and aesthetically pleasing and a talking point in your garden.

[00:32:21]Taste is covered in this garden by these amazing plants. Dives absolutely love them. They're fun to look at. And when you do, you could just pop the head off, put it in your mouth, and munch it.

[00:32:40]This creeping thyme is a great plant for a sensory garden. And if you plant this creeping time in between your stepping stones and you walk on it and crush it releases the fragrance. I mean again a lovely way of just having that experience in your garden. And a lot of these plants actually are very available in your local garden centers.

[00:33:09]I'm just quaking this grass. It's actually called quaking grass. and the sound, it's like these little tiny seed pods all knocking together. But in terms of a sensory element in the garden, this is something that I think is fun, is arresting, is cute, and will really keep your interest.

[00:33:31]I just want to do this all day.

[00:33:35]Color in any garden is important, but a garden designed for the visually impaired, it's really critical that you get it right. And it helps with navigation. You've got beauty and you've got purpose in one garden.

[00:33:51]>> Thank you, Flo. Now, my guest today is a comedian, TV, and podcast presenter who has unexpectedly blossomed into a full-blown gardening obsessive. You recognizing yourself? He swapped punchlines for peers and panel shows for pottering compost. It's Chelsea regular Tom Allen. Thank you for that lovely introduction, Nikki.

[00:34:12]>> Well, I mean, you are such a regular here. You love it, don't you?

[00:34:15]>> I am very I I I absolutely love it. I'm very lucky to get to come. I think it's the most lovely celebration of all things gardening. And it's You always meet nice people. You never get someone angry doing gardening, do you? You never get someone go, "Get out of the way."

[00:34:28]>> No. It's what we all need.

[00:34:29]>> Yes. The world needs more calm people in a garden >> on a global level.

[00:34:33]>> Exactly. Exact. I do think that I think a lot of the world's problems could be sorted out if we all spent a bit more time gardening. So when did you discover this passion? What age were you?

[00:34:41]>> Well, I in my late 30s really and um >> so only two years ago then.

[00:34:46]>> So just very recently actually um and um I got my own place and uh and I had a garden there and then shortly after I lost my dad and I thought well it's actually he liked gardening. It would be a nice way to remember him and so I got into it that way and um just kind of stuck with it since and now it's really my happy place. I crave being out there.

[00:35:06]However busy or frantic the world can seem, I just love being in the garden because then everything seems to calm down.

[00:35:11]>> Really? You love that. The two sides to you really that we've discovered. I mean, I've been following you on social media and you are passionate. You love your vegetables.

[00:35:19]>> I love vegetables. Yes. And I >> You're very funny.

[00:35:22]>> Well, I try and be, you know, with only so much you can do with a potato, but I but I will try. But I I I I love growing vegetables. And what I'm doing now, I used to have a veg patch.

[00:35:32]>> Yeah. Uh, and now I've realized you don't need to keep them contained in just one area. And I've been so inspired walking around here. People have vegetables. Yes. Mix and match.

[00:35:41]>> Mix and match. And then you can have lovely like cavalon or beetroot there.

[00:35:44]They look so beautiful. Why shouldn't they be celebrated like a like any other plant anymore?

[00:35:49]>> Doesn't have to be like they could be quite chaotic and that's more that's all the more beautiful. I love I mean the way David Beckham has done this lovely I think this is his washing he's put up here.

[00:35:56]>> But when you garden you always look immaculate apart from the clogs on the feet. Oh, I like to wear my green shoes because I think everybody has a pair of shoes they keep by the back door. So, you can just pop in. That's what I think. This like doesn't matter what you're wearing. Even if you just come come down from bed, some walk out my pajamas, pop the clogs on >> and then and I'm off and I'm off. I can do a little bit of this and that and suddenly the time flies.

[00:36:18]>> Let's talk about your success stories in the garden. You know, your flowers. What are you most proud of?

[00:36:23]>> Oh, in my garden. Well, the peies I'm always very excited to see. I'm very very excited about them. But my my real favorite are pelagoniums.

[00:36:30]>> Yes. And uh I've just put my pelagoniums out and I'm a bit worried it might have been a bit early, but anyway, they'll soon work it out.

[00:36:37]>> Well, you can go around here and you can ask expert advice.

[00:36:40]>> That's what I love. And well, I've just bought myself a tree fern.

[00:36:43]>> Yeah.

[00:36:43]>> You know, it's one of those ones that just a sort of stick with like leaves at the top. It looks like a child's drawn a drawn a tree. Um and so I've bought one of those. And I don't have a lot of success with tropical plants. So I've had birds of paradise and I had a banana palm.

[00:36:55]>> I had a banana palm. All dead. All dead.

[00:36:58]>> What are you doing wrong, do you think?

[00:36:59]Well, I don't think I know how to overwinter them >> because I've taken them in the shed before.

[00:37:04]>> Greenhouse.

[00:37:05]>> Don't have a greenhouse. I've got a cloch.

[00:37:07]>> Yes, >> they're good.

[00:37:08]>> They're very good.

[00:37:09]>> Little clooch to little glass cloloch to put things in, but the tree phone wouldn't fit in there.

[00:37:13]>> So, do you feel you're in a place now that you can give expert advice?

[00:37:17]>> Well, I don't know about that.

[00:37:20]>> I feel they could be, you know, a whole career.

[00:37:22]>> Oh, I like the idea of that.

[00:37:24]>> Gardening show, a gardening book perhaps.

[00:37:26]>> Oh, I'd like to do a gardening book.

[00:37:27]That would be fun, wouldn't it? charting my success and failures. So I well the thing is I like to make mistakes. I'm a proud novice I'll stick something in some mud and see what happens and then if it grows and that's all good, isn't it? But there's no right or wrong way and I think sometimes there's quite a lot of people uh particularly online. Uh people like to tell you what you're doing wrong and >> but that's meant to be helpful.

[00:37:48]>> I know but I take it so personally and they seem so aggressive about it. You can't do that. Mustn't do it like that.

[00:37:54]What are you doing >> you? How do you feel gardening affects your mood? Is it your release, your sanctuary?

[00:38:00]>> I my partner says everything's okay when I'm in the garden. And I think that's true. Like all the noise, all the nonsense on social media or in the news, all those things go away when you you have to put your screen down and you just are there with the plants and you can't you can't rush growing plants.

[00:38:16]>> No.

[00:38:17]>> And also you can't be a perfectionist.

[00:38:18]You have to let go of that.

[00:38:19]>> Doesn't they don't laugh at your jokes.

[00:38:21]>> They don't laugh at my jokes. I know.

[00:38:22]It's like doing a tour show. No pressure at all, but lots of gorgeousness. And that is what you're going to find cuz I know you're desperate to go and explore a little bit more.

[00:38:30]>> Well, I can't wait to go and have a look. And I like the the balcony gardens and the container gardens. I'm I'm going to go. All right, I'll go.

[00:38:37]>> Tom, thank you so much for joining us.

[00:38:38]>> Thank you very much for pleasure. Well, what a lovely thing to be here.

[00:38:42]Wonderful.

[00:38:42]>> Thank you.

[00:38:47]I'm back with the money-saving gardener Anna Lenbark who's showing us how to create a budget busting container. And we're also looking at nature, aren't we?

[00:38:56]Yes. And you know, people often think that containers cost so much money, not if you do it our way. Um, first of all, we are going for perennial plants. Not only they are saving us money, but they are also saving us time because once planted, they stay in your garden for decades. You can propagate, you can divide perennial plants and we went for uh pollinator friendly plants. Salvas flower beautifully for months. Scabas will feed so many pollinators, butterflies, bees, bumblebees.

[00:39:29]This beautiful um hardy deraniums, they just so easy to propagate.

[00:39:34]>> So, should we stick that in? Yes. Yes.

[00:39:36]>> And then let's talk about containers because I know lots of people love having them, but they are quite pricey.

[00:39:42]>> Absolutely. But you know, Angelica, I bought so many amazing pre-owned containers. So, you don't have to buy new. You can buy them pre-owned, which saves you so much money. And do you know what I love is when you give a lovely container a second chance.

[00:39:57]>> Yes. Second home.

[00:39:58]>> So rewarding.

[00:40:00]>> So, we've got this in. And let's talk about the plant support.

[00:40:03]>> Yeah. So, you know, containers is not only about plants, it's also about all the extras. And one of the things I always make is my own plant support. Um, I used hazel and willow. You just loop it around this. Um, >> and be gentle, don't you?

[00:40:20]>> Yes, be gentle. But look how brilliant it is. And this will support all the taller plants. Um, look how much money we save because not only it looks beautiful, it's all nature and really rewarding to make.

[00:40:34]>> Yes. And this will protect the plants so that they grow nicely, grow tall.

[00:40:37]>> Yes. When it's windy, you know, in the middle of summer sometimes all the taller plants don't look very good. So they this will support.

[00:40:46]>> So just put it in like that.

[00:40:47]>> Yes. Perfect.

[00:40:48]>> Okay. You see, all the extras um cost quite a lot of money, but I make my own feet for the planters uh by mixing a little bit of cement and uh putting it in the cupcake molds. They just so beautiful. And just take them out of the >> Right. And then we just put them underneath. Yes.

[00:41:12]>> So I lift this up.

[00:41:14]>> Put it down.

[00:41:15]>> Yes.

[00:41:15]>> There we go. on this guy.

[00:41:18]>> Do you know they look like shells?

[00:41:20]>> They look great.

[00:41:21]>> So beautiful.

[00:41:23]>> And of course, everything is created on a budget. Anyone can do it at home with no not much money spent.

[00:41:32]>> There we go.

[00:41:33]>> Oh, look how lovely.

[00:41:34]>> And how do we keep this plants looking good?

[00:41:37]>> Well, you have to water it obviously. Um depending how dry it is. Um, sometimes you need to uh water plants twice a day.

[00:41:45]But what is brilliant about this container is that it will come back every year. So, not only you save money, but you also save time and it's just such a great thing to do.

[00:41:55]>> Anna, you are amazing and you saved us some money as well. The large show gardens on Main Avenue are one of the highlights here at RHS Chelsea, but what did the judges make of this year's designs? The time has come to find out who has struck gold this year.

[00:42:12]It's been another strong year at RHS Chelsea with five golds on Main Avenue.

[00:42:19]First to be awarded a gold is the Tate Britain garden designed by Tom Stewart Smith. It's a showcase for the forthcoming Claw Garden at Tate Britain and it clearly impressed the judges.

[00:42:32]Also winning gold is the lady garden silent no more designed by Darren Hawks.

[00:42:37]It's a conceptual, bold, and imaginative garden raising awareness about gynecological cancers.

[00:42:44]>> This is the icing on the cake. So, I'm I'm absolutely delighted.

[00:42:48]>> Designer Patrick Clark has struck gold with his first garden on Main Avenue for the Children's Society, showcasing how reclaimed materials can be turned into something beautiful. The judges clearly agreed. Returning to Main Avenue for the second time is Kazyuki Ishahara. Known for his exquisite Japanese planting.

[00:43:09]This year he was awarded a silver guilt for his Tokonoma garden.

[00:43:18]The designer Ankus Thompson has created the breathing space garden for the charity Asthma and Lung UK. An ambitious design that encourages us all to stop and take a breath. Also awarded silver was Arit Anderson for her garden for the charity Parkinson's UK. Her first on Main Avenue. It's designed as a sanctuary to support those navigating this complex condition. We put as much energy into this as we can and we really hope that the public are going to enjoy it. Designers Harry Holding and Alex Mccis have been awarded a silver guilt for their garden, the Eden Project, Bringing Sunshine, that celebrates the regeneration of Morham Bay.

[00:44:01]>> We're delighted to to just be here and celebrating something uh that that's going to be really special when it moves to Morham. Celebrating her 20th year at Chelsea, legendary designer Sarah Eley has been awarded gold for her garden, the campaign to protect rural England that shines a light on the overlooked countryside at the edge of our towns and cities. And making his main avenue debut, Chelsea regular Baz Granger has won gold for his garden, Kiliken Co., a seed in time. Inspired by the Norfolk wetlands, it's a calming space to connect with nature.

[00:44:44]Every garden designer who is here at Chelsea this year should be really proud of themselves to get the gardens looking amazing and each one has their own special message. So, I hope they're proud of themselves.

[00:44:53]>> It is a huge achievement, isn't it?

[00:44:56]Months and years in the making for a lot of those gardens.

[00:45:00]Now making a welcome return to Main Avenue this year is Sarah Ely, the designer of the campaign to protect rural England's garden, which today has been awarded a gold medal. She is the most successful Chelsea garden designer ever. And back in 2018, Adam Frost went to discover the secret to her success.

[00:45:23]Sarah Eli has become the most decorated designer in the history of the show. But just how did a girl from Devon become the most successful designer in the history of the Chelsea Flower Show?

[00:45:36]>> I've come to Sarah's home in Hampshire.

[00:45:39]>> Yeah. Take me right back to how you got into design in the first place.

[00:45:43]>> Well, that's an interesting one. I grew up in Devon.

[00:45:45]>> Yeah. And I just grew up in the countryside and I loved it and I it was something like walking along the lane seeing the English light and particularly in September you get these beautiful long shadows and I knew straight away that it was something that I felt deeply about and when it was time to go and see the careers advisor I said somebody manipulates landscape it doesn't just happen and she said leave it with me I went back two weeks later she said landscape architecture >> after qualif fine. As a landscape architect, Sarah set up a business from the shed at the local garden center.

[00:46:22]With her passion ignited, she was soon designing award-winning gardens.

[00:46:28]In 2006, she won her first Chelsea gold.

[00:46:31]For some, this would have been a career pinnacle. But for Sarah, it was just the start. It's crazy to think that once upon a time, Chelsea's undisputed Wonder Woman didn't even want to take part. And I'd always had this attitude, I don't need to go to Chelsea. It's overrated, you know. And then you get there and it's like, ah, I'll never do anything else again. You know, >> it gets under your skin over.

[00:46:53]>> It does indeed. And it's like a big family.

[00:46:56]>> As a surprise for Sarah, I've lined up a little trip down memory lane.

[00:47:02]>> But we're not just talking about a few snaps in the old Chelsea family album.

[00:47:06]Oh no. I've arranged something befitting of a superhero, her very own movie. Are you ready?

[00:47:14]>> I am ready.

[00:47:15]>> Here we go.

[00:47:16]>> Oh, the Mars garden. Fabulous.

[00:47:19]>> Sarah Eve, you've only made two.

[00:47:21]>> 11 years ago, Wonder Woman's second Chelsea Garden took us literally out of this world >> to the surface of Mars.

[00:47:29]>> I look so young. Quiet.

[00:47:32]>> I'm like I'm looking. Was I ever that young?

[00:47:34]>> We've got this amazing stone which looks as though it was quarried up there. It's got all the colors I associate. The detail in the garden was like incredible, wasn't it?

[00:47:42]>> Yes. I mean, the amount of scientific input, the meters here that read all the oxygen levels and the carbon dioxide and actually that rest pod, all the angles are according to the gravity that you would have on Mars.

[00:47:56]>> Wow.

[00:47:57]>> But why do one garden when you can do three? In 2009, Sarah took on the credit crunch. Three ways.

[00:48:05]>> Monopoly, offshore.

[00:48:08]>> I remember. Yeah, that one.

[00:48:11]>> An overdrawn artist.

[00:48:13]>> So, what's the thinking behind >> these were shelled with silver, but since then the predominant color has been gold.

[00:48:20]>> This is up here. It's such a fantastic view across the show ground, but the first >> Oh, yes. This is the first of the double golds.

[00:48:28]>> Well, they're so different that I don't really have a favorite.

[00:48:31]>> I can remember you running up and down.

[00:48:33]>> I think that officially makes you Wonder Woman, though.

[00:48:36]>> Oh, well, I feel very humbled, actually.

[00:48:45]And I'm here with Sarah. And a huge congratulations on your garden. Another gold medal. Sarah, I'm calling you Sarah. Perhaps we should now just call you Wonder Woman the whole time. Yes.

[00:48:57]>> Uh I I mean it's it's a joy here to have another gold medal. I am so excited about it.

[00:49:01]>> Can I ask because we've sort of lost count, but in a good way. How many is it in total? Well, it's 20 RHS gold medals overall and my 14th at Chelsea.

[00:49:12]>> And does the pressure does it ever go away?

[00:49:14]>> Never. In some ways, the more gold medals you have, the more the pressure increases because there's an expectation not only from others but from yourself.

[00:49:23]So, I put a probably most of the pressure on myself.

[00:49:26]>> Really? Well, hopefully today and the rest of the week you can relax and we can enjoy your exquisite garden because you are passionate about this, aren't you?

[00:49:34]>> Absolutely. introducing us to these pockets of land on the edge of cities and towns and villages and what we can do >> to really look after them and nurture them. What sort of can we do ourselves when we see them?

[00:49:46]>> Well, the thing is is not to over often we overlook them and we think, you know, that that perhaps they don't need protection, but they do. These are the places that we our children play. These are the places we walk our dogs and it's the first touchstone of nature. So the thing is getting involved, you know, with your neighbors, with your community and recognizing how important and to ensure that there's a local voice to look after them.

[00:50:09]>> So when we walk into your garden, there's so many points here, but I just want to mention things like brambles.

[00:50:15]Now, we have a lovehate relationship with brambles. Why should we keep brambles if we see them?

[00:50:19]>> Well, the thing is it's about biodiversity. All right? I mean, apart from the fact you can get lovely blackberries off them later in the year, but apart putting that to one side, um it's everything plant has a place and actually if you're sort of gorilla gardening in one of these spaces, it's going to be very hard to get rid of all what we call our weeds. So, the thing is work with them, find a place for them and then it's not so much as tolerate, but work with them. And it's so important for wildlife, invertebrates and birds. And what about the native flowers that you've got in this garden?

[00:50:52]>> Well, many of them, of course, are overlooked because things like the buttercup, which I've majored on, and well, we think of the meadow buttercup as a weed, but it's a delightful little plant. And nobody here has said to me, "Oh, what about buttercups?" You know, we see it in it's like context, if you like, and we've got other weeds as well, like nettles, but it's how you use them rather than what they are. and also how this space makes you feel. That's so important.

[00:51:18]>> To me, the difference between a good garden and a great garden is how it makes you feel. And if I can get an emotional response from people, then for me, that's the greatest success.

[00:51:28]>> Just look at the crowds today. You're certainly getting the right response.

[00:51:31]Sarah, thank you so much. And congratulations once again.

[00:51:35]>> This garden is packed with clever ways to give nature a boost. But if you want the secret formula for a border that's naturalistic and knockout beautiful, Toby is the man with the recipe.

[00:51:54]What about this for an abundant border?

[00:51:57]It's got everything. Got height, it's got color, it's got bustle and spill. It looks like mother nature planted it herself.

[00:52:06]But of course that isn't the case because every leaf, every bud, every bloom was in the back of the van being brought to Chelsea just two weeks ago.

[00:52:13]No, it's natural beauty is all down to clever planting design.

[00:52:22]There is no formality here, but there is a pattern. Once you get your eye in, you can see it. Plants are grouped in little clumps or clusters. So when you look along the border, you can see that they're in drifts just as plants grow in nature. Similarly, in nature, plants compete. There's no space between them.

[00:52:41]Everything's cheekbou bustling and competing for sunlight. But there are also layers. And here's the clever bit.

[00:52:47]At the ground level, there are cow slips again in little clumps and clusters.

[00:52:52]It's often said that if you want to create a naturalistic look, plant odd numbers of things. But I think that matters less than having an odd number of clumps or clusters of different sizes above them. Oxide daisies, beautiful daisyike flowers and then breezer or quaking grass. This shimmers in the breeze and is the whole garden's motif.

[00:53:14]Above that there's another layer of flowers with valyan with landing padlike flowers perfect for butterflies and sweet rocket for the bees.

[00:53:27]And talking of the bees, this garden isn't just natural in its look. It's fit for purpose. All the plants in it encourage insects. I mean, fox gloves, for example. They're a hedro plant, and they grow tall because they're often in the company of brambles and nettles that rise as the flowers start to open. Each flower opens just above its neighbors, creating a a warm air pocket that bees like to fly in. And then as the nettles grow, the flowers open further up the spikes. And that's the genius of designer Melanie Hicks. She's brought together a whole pallet of plant that encourages pollinators and insects that both enjoy eating the plants and also share in their pollen. And those insects bring in a whole another layer of life, including bats. Just one final thought.

[00:54:12]See the trees at the back of the border?

[00:54:15]They're important. You see, have a tree near a fence line in your garden. It sort of links hands with the trees in the neighbors gardens, joins the landscape together so birds, bees, and bats can make your garden their home.

[00:54:34]And now it is time to open up today's Chelsea Garden Clinic where our experts answer your gardening questions. In the hot seat today, we have the lovely Frances. Welcome. Right. Are you ready?

[00:54:47]Can we ask you anything? just about anything. Let's see how they get on.

[00:54:50]Okay. Cat on Instagram. I want to welcome more ladybirds and butterflies into my little garden. Any key plants?

[00:54:58]>> Oo. Well, ladybirds like to eat aphids.

[00:55:00]So, anything that aphids like, broad beans, roses, um but also generalist sort of planting, so flat tops, achilles, daisy flowers, they'll bring in all kinds of pollinators including ladybirds. And for butterflies, it's always best to contact your lo local butterfly organization to see which target species there are. But generalist plants would be nettles, hops, things like that.

[00:55:22]>> Lovely cat. I hope that helps. Angelica, we've got Fiona from the lake. Hello.

[00:55:25]Welcome to the show.

[00:55:26]>> Thank you. What's your question?

[00:55:28]>> My question is with the unpredictable weather that we're getting all over the country, but especially in the lakes these days where we get very hot summers and hot spells and very wet and cold spells. If you want to pursue drought tolerant planting and sustainable planting, have you got advice for us?

[00:55:47]>> We need plants that can cope with a hot dry summer and a wet winter. It's tricky, but what I would say is change your topography. If you create mounds in the garden, the plants on top will pretty much always be quite dry, even in the winter because it will soak through and you can have things like herbs and stuff like that. And then in the troughs, the more moisture loving plants like Rogeria and Filipendula can live there. Thank you very much.

[00:56:11]>> Excellent. And then let me Can I squeeze in here, Barbara?

[00:56:13]>> Sure. Yeah. What's your question? Um my question is about a sedum roof planted about three years ago, but this year it's become very mossy. What plants would be good to add to it to counteract that? And in particular species of wildflower.

[00:56:24]>> Sure. Well, moss indicates to me it's maybe a little bit wet and a little bit shady, but moss is great because it absorbs loads of carbon. So, if you can live with it, it's doing a really good job. Um, if not, then I'd be looking for the wild flowers that are more shady and and sort of wetland loving. So again, things like the filipendulas. Nothing that roots too deeply though. Okay, >> there you go. Thank you very very much.

[00:56:47]Great answers as ever. Thank you. Now, in celebration of RHS Chelsea living the ban on garden gnomes this year, we asked you to send in your pictures of your prize gnomes. I don't know why I'm laughing.

[00:57:00]>> Because they're funny. Uh, this Martin Kelly from right here in Cumbria sent his picture of Elvis the gnome who is loving the show by the way.

[00:57:07]>> I love that.

[00:57:09]>> That that's a very very good impression.

[00:57:12]What about Ally in Cambridge? She says, "This is my gardening companion relaxing in the snow in the summer sleeping."

[00:57:18]That's cute. Really like that.

[00:57:20]>> That is really cute.

[00:57:21]>> And this came in from WhatsApp. These are our little helpers in our country garden. I mean, those group of gnomes there look like they're having the best time and we need to go out with them.

[00:57:30]They look like having a laugh.

[00:57:31]>> You've got a gnome in your garden, haven't you?

[00:57:33]>> You've got a gnome in your garden. In my garden, I need to get a gnome, don't I?

[00:57:38]>> We'll find you one.

[00:57:39]>> Find me one.

[00:57:39]>> A respectable one.

[00:57:40]>> A nice one. Yeah, >> we are loving gnomes this year. Spread the word.

[00:57:47]>> We love seeing your gnomes and answering your questions. So, do keep them coming in. Plus, they make us laugh.

[00:57:53]>> They do. Yeah. That's all we've got time for today. Uh we'll be back at 2:00 tomorrow helping you to get away from it all. From creating a holiday vibe at home to designing the perfect escape at the bottom of the garden.

[00:58:05]>> Yes. And we'll have all the details on how you can vote for your favorite garden in the running for this year's BBC RHS People's Choice Award. And don't forget, Monty and Rachel will be back tonight on BBC2 at 8:00 when they will be revealing the winner of the RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year. And we cannot wait for >> we cannot wait. Can we? That's it. Yes.

[00:58:27]>> Thank you. Bye for now.

[00:58:28]>> Bye.

[00:58:31]>> Oh, thank you.