The RHS Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its 100th birthday this week with a more-than-usually dazzling display of perfect blooms and breathtakingly beautiful show gardens.
Highlights of the show this year include a public vote to choose the Plant of the Centenary, the best plant to emerge from the last 100 years. It's a tough choice: among the finalists are spectacularly colourful Russell lupins, 'yak' rhododendrons and the ever-popular 'Iceberg' rose. Once you've cast your vote on www.rhs.org.uk, you can always pop down to your favourite garden centre and pick up your favourites to grow in your own garden.
There's the dazzling Great Pavilion, almost three acres of colour and scent from over 100 of the country's best nurseries. And then there are the show gardens: look out for Prince Harry's 'Forget-Me-Not' garden for his charity Sentebale, Ulf Nordfjell's elegant French-inspired garden for Laurent Perrier, and Nigel Dunnett's rainwater capturing roof garden for the Royal Bank of Canada. There's plenty of inspiration to take home: on trend this year are simple, native flowers to give your garden that wild, natural look.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 21st - 25th May. If you haven't been lucky enough to get your hands on a ticket, catch the best bits on BBC1 right through the week.
