Chelsea Flower Show 2025 rewilds the spotlight with dogs and royalty in focus
The Chelsea Flower Show 2025 opened this week with a fresh twist on tradition – placing not just gardens but dogs at the heart of the story. As the gates opened to royalty, designers, and celebrities, the message was clear: the world’s most iconic flower show is evolving with the times. Rewilding, sustainability, and the enduring bond between humans and animals are all centre stage.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were among the first to explore the naturalistic displays, joined by David Beckham, Cate Blanchett and a host of other familiar faces. This year’s theme leans heavily into climate-conscious design, featuring moss-covered paving, native planting schemes, and gravel paths that reflect the shift towards low-maintenance, eco-friendly spaces. It’s a long way from the manicured perfection of past decades.
The dog-friendly garden, designed by Monty Don in collaboration with BBC Radio 2 and the Royal Horticultural Society, has attracted particular attention. Don, who has previously voiced his scepticism about show gardens, said he was swayed by the opportunity to celebrate the companionship between dogs and their owners. The garden includes shaded areas, cooling pools, and soft lawns, all with canine comfort in mind. It even features bricks engraved with the names of broadcaster and royal dogs, including the King’s dog Snuff and the late Queen’s Jack Russell, Beth.
While the garden won’t be judged and won’t stay on-site, it will be rehomed to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home after the show, a move that underlines the practical thinking behind its design. More than a display, it’s a space built to be used and enjoyed. You can find more about Battersea’s ongoing care and rehoming efforts through their community support programmes.
The Chelsea Flower Show has always been about more than just flowers. It’s a place where ideas are showcased as vividly as the blooms themselves, and this year’s show clearly responds to modern concerns – climate, biodiversity, and wellbeing. Gardens have been reimagined as places for restoration, not just for people but for the planet too.
It’s also a gathering point for Britain’s public figures. Dame Joanna Lumley, actor David Tennant, and BBC presenter Zoe Ball joined the preview this year, mingling among the wild ferns, reclaimed timber, and gently trickling water features. And while the presence of royalty at Chelsea is a long-standing tradition, this year’s appearance had a relaxed, distinctly modern tone – less pomp, more purpose.
Visitors this week can expect a strong showing from designers championing rewilding and resilient planting. The shift toward what’s natural, low-intervention and restorative aligns with wider public conversations about how we use green spaces in urban environments. It also mirrors trends seen in local borough initiatives encouraging biodiversity and native flora, as covered in our recent feature on urban green spaces in London.
If Chelsea is a barometer of what’s to come in our gardens and our culture, then expect more dogs, more moss, and more soul in future landscapes.
For more updates on the Chelsea Flower Show 2025 and further insights into London’s cultural calendar, visit EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.
[Image Credit | Reuters]
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