Royal Hospital Chelsea · Royal Hospital Road · London SW3 4SR · Late May
Chelsea: you leave carrying plants
On the final afternoon of the Chelsea Flower Show the exhibitors sell off their displays, and the streets around the Royal Hospital fill with people carrying trees, shrubs and armfuls of flowers to wherever they left the car. If you are going on that day, plan the journey home rather than the journey there.
On the final day, when show gardens are dismantled and sold. It is one of the great sights of the London season and it turns a straightforward booking into a question of how much boot space a group of six actually needs.
Two quite different bookings
Same venue, same week, and the vehicle requirement is not the same.
Viewing days
A normal day out. Bags only, and a straightforward return.
The sell-off
People leave with plants, sometimes very large ones. Tell us.
At all
Chelsea is dense, residential and controlled. There is nowhere to leave a car.
Of being collected
Carrying a bay tree to a car three streets away is nobody's idea of a good afternoon.
Kent to SW3
Central and west, and busier than usual during show week.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Show week journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 14 miles | 45–75 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 16 miles | 50–80 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 21 miles | 55–90 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 26 miles | 55–90 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 27 miles | 65–100 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 36 miles | 75–110 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 37 miles | 75–115 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 60 miles | 100–140 min |
If you are buying
Worth thinking about before the day rather than on the pavement afterwards.
| Point | Note |
|---|---|
| Tell us in advance | So we bring something with room rather than a full-seat vehicle |
| Plants leak and shed | Bring a bag or a sheet. Compost on upholstery is a cleaning matter |
| Large specimens | Trees and mature shrubs may simply not fit. Be realistic |
| The walk to the vehicle | Is not short. Consider what you can actually carry |
| Delivery | Many exhibitors arrange it. Often the better answer for anything large |
A day at Chelsea
Say if you are going on the final day
It is the single most useful thing you can tell us about a Chelsea booking. A group attending a viewing day needs a normal vehicle. A group attending the sell-off may come back with several plants each, and that is a different arrangement entirely. We would rather send something with room than have you leave a rose bush on Royal Hospital Road.
SW3 genuinely has nowhere to park
Chelsea is dense, residential and comprehensively controlled, and show week adds tens of thousands of people to it. Anyone driving themselves spends a considerable part of the day dealing with that. Being dropped and collected is not a luxury here, it is the sensible way to attend, and it is the reason most of our Chelsea passengers book.
Be realistic about what you can carry
The walk from the show to wherever a vehicle can wait is not short, and a mature shrub is heavier than it looks after two hundred yards. Many exhibitors arrange delivery for larger purchases, which is usually the better answer, and it leaves you carrying only what you actually want to carry.
Bring something to wrap them in
Plants shed compost, leak water and mark fabric. A bin bag or an old sheet in the vehicle costs nothing and prevents a cleaning conversation afterwards. It is the same principle as muddy festival kit and it applies just as much to a hydrangea.
Chelsea Flower Show questions
Sell-off day, and SW3.
What is the sell-off?
On the final afternoon exhibitors dismantle and sell their displays, and visitors leave carrying plants. It is one of the sights of the London season and it changes what vehicle you need.
Should we tell you if we are buying plants?
Yes, and it is the most useful thing you can tell us. We will bring something with room rather than a full-seat vehicle.
Is there parking near the show?
None realistically. SW3 is dense, residential and comprehensively controlled, and show week adds tens of thousands of people to it.
How large a plant can we bring back?
Be realistic. Trees and mature shrubs may not fit, and the walk to the vehicle is not short. Many exhibitors arrange delivery, which is usually the better answer.
Should we protect the seats?
Yes, bring a bin bag or an old sheet. Plants shed compost and leak water, and a vehicle needing cleaning afterwards carries a charge.
How long does it take from Kent?
Around forty-five minutes from Bromley to over two hours from east Kent, and busier than usual during show week.
Which days are quieter?
The later viewing days are generally busier than the earliest ones, and the final day is the busiest of all because of the sell-off.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking, including any waiting.
Gardens and shows
The RHS calendar and London venues.