As the world continues to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the world’s most prestigious horticultural festival, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020, has unfortunately been cancelled. However, the event will be moving online for all those at home and in isolation to enjoy.
Since 1913, the Chelsea Flower Show has been a staple part of London‘s annual events, and this year the event will be turning its five-day celebration into a virtual show. Along with numerous workshops and tutorials, the online stream will also include expert advice on how to grow and sow healthy plants, current gardening trends, a School Gardening Club for children and families to enjoy, and a lunchtime Q&A session with an RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) expert.
Additionally, leading horticulturalists will be giving behind-the-scenes virtual tours of their private gardens that were originally intended to be built for the Chelsea Flower Show’s grand pavilion. The RHS is hoping to “share the joy of gardening” with the world and is set to collaborate with a multitude of designers, landscapers, growers, and trade stands for the virtual event.
“We’re lucky to live in a digital age where we’re able to bring aspects of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show online so we can continue to share the world’s best in horticulture and bring garden design inspiration, breath-taking displays and horticultural knowledge for the nation to enjoy during this difficult time,” Sue Biggs, director general of the RHS, shared. “We really hope the virtual show will help fill the gap caused by the sad but necessary cancellation of this year’s show and will inspire more people to get growing.”
The virtual RHS Chelsea Flower Show begins at 8 a.m. BST (3 a.m. EST) on May 19 and will run until May 23. All content will be available for free on The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) website, as well as on BBC One and BBC Two channels.
The Chelsea Flower Show has been cancelled two previous times during World War One and World War Two.
