The top 2 trends to emerge from Chelsea Flower Show 2021

Few flower festivals rival the prestige of the Chelsea Flower Show, the influential event that celebrates horticultural glory – and sets garden trends for the future.

Amongst those in the know at Chelsea is green-thumbed garden expert Arthur Parkinson – the Pottery Gardener, author, and garden trends forecaster who shared his predictions for the coming seasons exclusively with H&G. So, what do you need to prioritize to get ahead of the crowd? 

The two biggest Chelsea Flower Show trends – according to Arthur Parkinson

From the heart of Chelsea, Arthur shares his predictions of the two significant garden trends that will take over our front and backyard ideas. Here is what you need to know.

1. Meadows

Conservation was at the heart of many of the garden displays at Chelsea this year. This year's garden designers lean't heavily into rewilding, filling the gardens with meadows. Though, nothing showcases this rustic aesthetic quite like wild meadows – which you can create from a hiatus in lawn mowing. 

'What I really hope is taken away from the show is stop mowing your lawn every week. Mow every four weeks, [create] paths through meadows,' Arthur says. An example of this is seen in the RHS Queen's Green Canopy Garden which includes over 3,500 plants, and the Gold Medal Yeo Valley Garden. 

'What's lovely about the Chelsea this year – and all Chelsea shows – is that they encompass the idea of gardens fighting the biodiversity decline and mass extinction. It's no longer acceptable to just be decorative. It's has to join conservation through gardening, and that comes from using peat-free compost – to the plants that are chosen,' he continues. 

How else can you accentuate the 'meadow' look in your garden? In the discussion of his flower bed ideas, Arthur shares his recommendations for blooms that not only look good – but do good too. 

'We've got single dahlias and anemone dahlia's full of nectar and pollen for bees. They'll flower until the first frost of winter,' he says. 'It's all about creating wildlife corridors but not having to be messy. It's about knowing what flowers look gorgeous, but what flowers are also good for pollinators too.'

Arthur's display for the Gaze Burvill stand at Chelsea was equally inspired by this natural trend. Vases were filled with snippets of hedgerow bushes, grasses, dahlias and honeysuckle.

2. Ponds 

Ponds in garden's aren't ground-breaking, but this watery trend was popping up in all shapes and forms at Chelsea this year. While garden pond ideas are not initially synonymous with meadows, Arthur suggests this second garden trend showcases stark similarities. 

'Like meadows, we've lost almost 80% of wetlands. Water brings a new dimension to a garden – reflection, movement and sound – but also it brings wildlife in. Songbirds need to bathe, and hedgehogs need to drink,' Arthur explains. 

'I think it's wonderful, there are a lot of aquatic plants – there are beautiful water lilies, flag irises on the side of the pond,' he adds. 

'It just brings that edge, even if it's just a tiny pool, even a nice birdbath within a herbaceous border. Even a dustbin lid up-turned on bricks filled half with pebbles that you can just refresh every week – that will do a huge amount for bees and birds. Water is good for us and good for wildlife,' Arthur says.  

While many of the show gardens included garden pond ideas, the smartest uses we saw were in the new container garden category. The Hot Tin Roof Garden and IBC Pocket Forest both showcased free-standing ponds that could be incorporated into a garden whatever the size.

Chelsea has given us the garden idea that will set us right on trend – and contribute to the well-being of the wildlife in the process. Long may these nature-inspired trends continue.