We’re just back from the gruelling RHS Chelsea 2026. Months of planning, organising and creativity all come down to 6 days building and a 6 days showing before we pack everything up and head home. We’re tired but it was worth it. We got a bloody GOLD medal.
The central theme for my houseplant studio design this year was joy. I wanted to create a space that felt joyful, lifted mood and encouraged creativity. To emphasise this I leaned into themes of heliotropism: this is where plants turn towards the sun to maximise photosynthesis. From a human prospective it can also describe choosing to turn towards light and positivity. To choose joy.
Getting ready to exhibit at Chelsea is stressful, hard work, and all consuming for a long period of time before the show. During build and show weeks it can be even more intense.
Last year it was over whelming, as first time exhibitors, I felt swamped with forms and emails; trying to translate something that was in my head to words before I’d even built it.
This year I was determined to find joy in every moment. I spend my days with plants (and animals) because it brings me joy. A calm solace and energised lift. The beauty of Chelsea is that there are hundreds of exhibitors channeling that same passion for plants to share with the the public. The public turn up en masse to experience that same passion first hand and snippets of the show are televised the world over.
It feels like everyone is watching. People are scrambling for selfies with celebrities and wrangling for their 30 seconds on the BBC. I think we got about 50 seconds on the beeb, which was amazing, they were using our room to talk about the 70’s because they made a connection between the bright colour scheme and 70’s decor. Frances Tophill and the crew filmed for a good few hours talking more about the themes of our studio and really understanding what we were there to do. It never made the cut sadly, but those of you who visited understood.
In a show of sensory overload, where your eyes are down left right and centre, many of you were drawn to the calm movements of rotating displays, the sunny yellow/orange of the building and of course the plants. If you got it, you got it.
This year we were awarded Gold. Which was wonderful and not a little bit emotional. I felt like I understood the judging process better and really took a great deal of time getting the scheme to sing harmoniously. On the last day of the build I spent a whole day (12 hours) in my socks touching up paint on the floor and going over every single leaf and stem to make sure nothing was out of place.
When you run a small business its all consuming, like Chelsea you are constantly moving from one task to the next, thinking about what you have to do tomorrow. Sometimes you can forget that you started this because you love it.
Sharing our passions and joys is a wonderful thing. Leaning into the joys of a day rather than the stresses or failures is the best thing to ensure it doesn’t get too much. Turn towards the positive, turn towards the light – just like a plant and remember your joy will always come in the morning.
I couldn’t have done anything this year without an amazingly supportive small team of individuals who helped me get the accolade of a Gold Medal. Malvern Garden Buildings sponsor the houseplant studios at RGHS Chelsea and the small, dedicated team go miles for us all.
Thank you Georgina, Gemma and all the team behind them at the RHS.
Thank you to the wonderful Tessa Cobley from Ladybird Plantcare who provided financial sponsorship to help us avoid breaking the bank. Tessa also brought an incredibly supportive can do voice to my conversations with her that gave me confidence in what I was doing.
Emma Wakefield helped me talk through everything from inception to creation. She stood at my side and asked ‘what do you need?’ everyday and for this I am eternally grateful. Emma also painted in the studio and brought the space to life as we saw her wonderful Soulscape emerge on canvas through the week.
Stevie Smith is my long suffering partner in life and business. He listened to the late night worries, supported the harebrained ideas and turned up every time I needed him. Nothing like this would be possible without him and I couldn’t imagine anyone else being my strength in the darkest hours.
Katie Howes, very kindly lent us the incredible Carousel Horse for the front of the display. She even painted it pink for us. Her thought provoking and fun art hits just the right vibe every time. She’s also a gorgeous human being.
Grow Gang, once again for providing their incredible grow bulbs to us, thank you Lorenzo and team.
Thank you Bee and Leah for taking holiday from work to help on build week; Alison Harper, from Skindylic for her incredible Sound Baths; Caffy for helping sell some stuff and Elly and Tomoko for holding fort in Brighton.
And to all our fellow exhibitors, especially 2026 HPS Alumni, you guys rock, thank you.
