RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025: Plants You Must Grow
Your bumper Chelsea plant guide!
This week's Plants You Must Grow is obviously from the Chelsea Flower Show - that worldwide spectacular. But this year, I didn't actually look at any of the gardens outside (I'm going to watch those on TV). I spent most of my time in the marquee because there were so many great plants. It felt like a vintage year. Not only did the plant of the year have 20 finalists, most of which could have been the winner, but the nursery displays were also amazing.
Hemerocallis ‘See You Tomorrow’
I was hotly tipping this to be the winner of the Plant of the Year, because it's very, very unique. It's a daylily that opens over the space of seven days rather than one. But it's also quite a good ‘future plant’ because it's very tough and resilient. The plants are like strong grass and the flower stems are super strong. The flowers could also be a very useful cut flower, I felt, but alas, it didn't win. Keep reading to see what the winner was…
Cosmos bipinatus ‘Fondant Fancy’
I don't know if you remember, but the very first Cupcake Cosmos was from Thompson & Morgan, actually first selected by a lady in the US. They've been very clever at diversifying the whole range, and now we have a fondant fancy - a selection that is rich, pink and super easy to grow. Cosmos have really become a garden favourite over the years, something that I didn't see coming!
Streptocarpus ‘Betty’
Streptocarpus are really, really having their moment. Dibleys deserve the best with these - they've had amazing displays at all the shows over the years, and this year, they were even used on the Cape Flora display as well. Betty was their hope for Plant of the Year, and has this lovely, big, clear flowers. A really useful houseplant, but in recent weeks it's been used outdoors in borders, where it works very nicely in the shade for the summer.
Deutzia PRETTISTARS ‘Pink Cloud’
A Deutzia with a real difference, these are very, very small flowers. It almost looks like flowering topiary. Now, Deutzia are very unknown, but I think they deserve so much more. They're a nice, open, frothy shrub. They're not too formal. They really fill gaps in the border, and they have an amazing fragrance.
Philadelphus ‘Petite Perfume Pink’
This was the winner of Plant of the Year - I didn't call it! I really thought that the day lily would have got it, but it's a very well deserving plant. It’s one of the first true dwarf Philadelphus with flowers that are also smaller in size. So all the proportions are perfect. It looks like a Clematis montana in the bloom with this lovely four-pointed star flower with a blush in the center and that typical orange blossom fragrance - a very worthy winner, you could even buy some here.
Rhaphiolepis indica ‘White Cloud’
An interesting plant that doesn't look like much, but is a very climate-proof plant, because it will grow in very dry conditions as well as very wet conditions. For a fleeting moment, I thought this might have won plant of the year, but after all, it is a little bit of a beauty pageant as well, so it didn't win.
Iris ‘Benton Cordelia’
Those Benton Iris from Cedric Morris in Hadleigh, Suffolk are everywhere these days, which makes me super, super happy. They are selected for their very unique colorings, incorporating bronze, purple and all sorts of very unique shades. I love bearded iris - I just wish someone could breed one that flowers for more than a week.
Baptisia ‘Burgundy Blast’
A really nice alternative for a Lupin, and I feel like Baptisia are really having their moment at Chelsea this year, as they were also used in many of the top show gardens. Like a Lupin, but a little bit more gappy and grows a bit more like a shrub. We should get into these more.
VIP subscribers can read on to discover the mushrooms on everyone’s lips - literally! - a gorgeous velvety rose, and almost a dozen more plants from this year’s show that you simply must grow yourself!