The Hort Report: 23rd May 2025
Planting for bees, Chelsea flowers, and more!
Here’s your weekly Hort Report - the round-up of industry news, retail insights, home gardener gossip, influencer spotlights, social media news, and so much more.
Grab a hot drink, and catch up on the latest below…
SUBSTACK
RHS Chelsea Flower Show round-up
This week’s Plant You Must Grow was a bumper edition, featuring exciting plants from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - including that all-important winner, Philadelphus ‘Petite Perfume Pink’ (and let’s not forget the winner of my Substack people’s choice vote - Miscanthus ‘Lady In Red’!)
Read it here.
NEWS FLASH
Strawberry season off to a fantastic start
Thanks to warm days and cool nights, this year’s UK strawberry season is off to an exceptional start, producing especially sweet and unusually large fruit - some weighing up to 50g each, around the size of three average strawberries. The temperature drop at night allows the berries to rest and convert more energy into natural sugars, leading to improved flavour!
INFLUENCER SPOTLIGHT
The Drag Queen Gardener
Tom Leonard manages a 90-acre estate in Warwickshire - but he also has the power of an alter ego: Daisy Desire! Follow his Insta for fabulous floral outfits, gardening updates and an emphasis on inclusivity in gardening.
Follow @dragqueen_gardener on Insta.
SOCIAL NEWS
I share bee-friendly planting tips for World Bee Day
In celebration of World Bee Day earlier this week, I’m encouraging you to support pollinators by planting bee-friendly flowers. Demonstrating how to create a buzzing patio container, I’m sharing top tips using plants available at Cherry Lane Garden Centres, showing how simple it can be to support bees in any outdoor space.
Watch my tips here and watch me plant up the container here.
PRODUCT NEWS
Spring baskets from Søstrene Grene
How about a hanging basket of flowers instead of a wreath this spring? Find the perfect basket for your door at the lovely Søstrene Grene here.
HOME GARDENER PLANT OF THE WEEK
Terranova Nurseries unveils shaggy-petalled Echinacea ‘Fringe Festival’
Terranova Nurseries is giving a sneak peek at ‘Fringe Festival’, a bold new addition to their Echinacea range with searing pink petals and no central cone, creating a shaggy, 70s-style flower. With its stocky shape, striking foliage and extended bloom time from July to October, it promises to be a standout in the garden.
Coming soon!
BOOK
New book The Philosophy of Houseplants celebrates our leafy obsessions
RHS gold medal-winning designer Sarah Gerrard-Jones has released The Philosophy of Houseplants, a must-read for anyone who treats their houseplants like family. The book explores our fascination with indoor greenery, alongside expert care tips to help plants thrive. From the healing qualities of biophylic design to the philosophy of care, it’s the perfect gift for plant lovers or aspiring indoor gardeners.
Buy your copy here.
WHAT TO DO NOW
GROW URBAN Festival returns to London in June 2025
From 7–15 June 2025, the GROW URBAN Festival will once again fill London with over 40 free workshops, talks and hands-on activities celebrating community, nature and urban growing. Organisers are seeking donations to support workshops in underserved areas and continue projects like wildflower-seeded protest banners and panel discussions with leading voices in sustainability and food growing.
Find out more here.
QVC PRODUCT PICK
Thompson & Morgan Chelsea Flower Show Plant Bundle
Celebrate your love of gardening with the Chelsea Flower Show Plant Bundle from Thompson & Morgan. This curated selection features six RHS Award of Garden Merit perennials, each chosen for their intense vibrancy, nectar-rich blooms and long-lasting beauty. Perfect for creating an ever-evolving border, these easy-to-grow plants offer a rich combination of heights and textures that gets bigger and better each year.
Buy the bundle here.