After an exciting day at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, I came away with heaps of inspiration for the gardening season ahead – and loads of trends to share with you.
If this is the forecast for the year Garden trends Anything to do with, we were in for a treat at Chelsea – and it’s safe to say this year’s show lived up to all expectations. What struck me yesterday was the free-spirited nature of the Gardens: wild, untamed and breathtakingly beautiful.
1. Natural planting
(Image credit: Future plc / Sophie King)
I had to start with the main character: natural planting a Huge Trends at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
In fact, the gardens took this planting style to a whole new level – we call it A Wild garden attitudeBecause most of them were overgrown, full of foliage and flowering plants and very well cluttered. Foxgloves emerge from dense borders, groundcover plants blend under the trees, and there’s a general sense of wildness that I love so much about this year’s show.
Campaign to protect rural England gardens: ‘On the Edge’ actually accepts weedAlso – I spoke with garden designer, Sarah Eberle, who shared the importance of weeds like milk thistle and nettle. Wildlife.
‘It’s hard to garden without them – they’re stronger than us, you know, and trying to get them to go away doesn’t really work well,’ Sarah told me. ‘It’s all about putting the right plants in the right place, and giving them areas to grow. It doesn’t have to be the whole garden – it’s just areas or patches that can support wildlife.’
This Fabulous Foxglove Collection from Thompson & Morgan Wild cottage is perfect for garden borders.
2. Water facilities
(Image credit: Future plc / Sophie King)
It seemed that almost every garden had a water feature This year there are several types: reflecting pools, self-emptying water pools and small waterfalls, to name a few. There really seems to be a shift towards water features as garden features this year.
I was especially fond of the falls in Woodland Trust: Forgotten Forests GardenWhich seemed very natural.
‘Personally, for me, I can’t create a woodland without a woodland stream,’ designer Ashley Aylett told me. ‘It brings a kind of sound and movement to the garden, which I think is very important,’ designer Ashley Aylett told me.
‘It brings a whole new palette of plants that you can start using, like those originally marginal people.’
It’s actually something else I’ve seen around water features like ponds: aquatic plants and reeds, which, Ashleigh agrees, give us a lot of plant space to play around in the garden. You can order A hardy rush of aquatic plants from Crocuswhich produces fountain-like tufts of bluish-green stems.
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3. Rich, bold tones
(Image credit: Future plc / Sophie King)
Another RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 trend I noticed was the abundance of rich oranges, yellows and burgundy in the gardens, reflecting the bold planting schemes experts expected earlier in the year.
One of my favorites was the show gardens Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ Gardenin which the plants ‘reflect the foundation’s bold mission and fearless spirit’. Plantings start out subtle and light, but develop into richly hued flowering plants, such as Sage wood ‘Caradona Pink’ (you can order Salvia Caradonna ‘Pink Inspiration’ from Marshall’s Garden).
Children’s Society Garden Another favorite was mine, which showcased the yellow blooms of woody plants for a pop of color in its climate-resilient planting scheme. Speaking of which…
4. Climate-resilient planting
(Image credit: Future plc / Sophie King)
Echoing 2025, climate-resilient planting was another trend at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, with several show gardens on display. Drought tolerant plants.
The Project Giving Back GardenFor example, it offers ‘a glimpse of what UK gardens will look like in the near future’, with plants resilient to the hot southern French climate. Common thyme (which you can buy from Crocus) is a classic Mediterranean plants which thrive in warm climates and for trees, Acer monspesulanum was selected for its adaptation to arid climates.
Beneath them, the plantings are resilient and adapted to the warm climate of southern France, offering a glimpse of what UK gardens will look like in the near future.
5. The garden as a retreat
(Image credit: Future plc / Sophie King)
Wild plantings may have taken center stage at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but many gardens were also designed with tranquility in mind.
In fact, many of them were designed as a retreat – Places to which we can escape and find solace. I had two favorites: Asthma and Lung UK Breathing Space Gardenwhich features therapeutic planting with calming greens and whites; And Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s JourneyWhich part of the garden is designed with white flowering night plants for insomniacs?
The white foxgloves on display are absolutely stunning, and you can order them Thompson and Morgan’s Foxglove ‘Alba’ plants.
Add calming water features to the mix and you can see how easy it is to create a relaxing outdoor space at home.
6. Plantation for wildlife
(Image credit: Future plc / Sophie King)
Another perennial garden trend, but one that was even more of a focus this year, was side planting Wildlife The focus was on sharing our gardens with local fauna, and some balcony and container gardens really stood out as shining examples of how you can cater to wildlife in small spaces.
This Hedgerow in the Sky – Tech Mahindra The garden, for example, is inspired by British hedgerows, using ‘layered planting, natural textures and wildlife-friendly design to demonstrate how even small spaces can nurture biodiversity and beauty’. is Plants for beesLike hazel and red-leaved roses, as well as bird favorites like hawthorn.
So there you have it. This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was full of inspiration to make your garden more personal, practical and eco-friendly. And ideas are quite achievable!
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