What’s new, what’s growing and what’s going on this month
Jubilant flowers
One of the additional pleasures of visiting the Chelsea Flower Show is the chance to see the wonderful floral displays that surround many of the shops, restaurants and hotels of Chelsea and Belgravia. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Royal Hospital showground, Chelsea in Bloom is a floral bonanza that is free for all to enjoy, with awards for best displays as hotly contested as those for the Main Avenue show gardens. This year the festival is also offering the opportunity to enjoy complimentary rickshaw rides and guided walking tours, and in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee the theme is British Icons. We’re expecting to see a smattering of red buses, pillar and telephone boxes, blue police boxes, bowler hats, bulldogs and MINI Coopers, alongside designs that honour the likes of David Bowie, Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, Paddington Bear and, almost certainly, Her Majesty herself. 23-28 May. chelseainbloom.co.uk
Sweet dreams
When furniture designer Rupert McKelvie decided he wanted to simplify his life, he built himself a small cabin on his parents’ farm. His stylish build sparked so much interest he founded design company Out of the Valley, producing beautiful prefabricated and bespoke cabins, as shown above, that can be adapted for a multitude of uses, from saunas and home offices to a small holiday home. The latest addition to its range is the Nomad Den (top), which has the same high levels of craftsmanship as its standard Nomad cabins but with a canvas roof. Perfect as a children’s den, it can also be fitted out to use as an extra guest room – ideal for those who love the romance of a night under canvas but prefer the comfort of a bed. Available in sizes from upwards of eight square metres, the basic model with a Douglas fir frame starts at around £8,000. outofthevalley.co.uk
Art of propagation
Why not expand your collection of houseplants by propagating from your existing ones? And while you’re waiting for your cuttings to root you can display them to stylish effect in the Hellene propagator from sustainable design studio Mark Lowe. Crafted from FSC-certified oak, Hellene is finished with a colourful strip of eco-resin terrazzo, created out of waste pieces and offcuts from nearby product design studio Olivia Aspinall. The wallhung propagator holds two glass test tubes for rooting cuttings but would look equally stylish displaying cut flowers. It costs £45 from marklowe.co.uk
Flower power
French iris breeder Cayeux has launched 18 new cultivars that are perfect for adding oomph to borders. Among the highlights are the white bearded Iris ‘En Ébullition’ (top), with ruffled standard petals and deep lavender veins on the falls; the deep-violet Iris ‘Profond Soupir (above left) with lightly ruffled flowers; and Iris ‘Belle Étoile’ (above right) with soft-yellow erect petals fading to creamy white on the edges and a wide pinkish purple border on the falls. All will be available from June for delivery in the UK from Chailey Iris Garden. chailey-iris.co.uk
Open isle
Twenty-one gardens in Northern Ireland will be opening their gates as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS) for the first time this year. From the 2,000-acre Clandeboye Estate (above) in Co Down, to Billy Old Rectory in Co Antrim, with its glorious old orchard, and the two-and-a-half acre cottage garden at Kilcootry Barn in Co Tyrone, there are fabulous gardens both large and small to explore across the six counties. All the garden openings will contribute to funding the nursing and health charities supported by the NGS. ngs.org.uk
Natural journey
The artist Stanley Spencer is perhaps best known for his paintings depicting biblical scenes as if they occurred in Cookham, the Berkshire village where he was born and spent much of his life. A new exhibition Delight in Nature at the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham charts the influence of the natural world on Spencer’s art, from boyhood sketches to his expressions of Cookham as an earthly paradise. Many of the works centre on the flora and gardens (above) of Cookham – the core of Spencer’s artistic and spiritual inspiration. Until 31 October. Admission £4.50. stanleyspencer.org.uk
Best on show
The glorious grounds of Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex play host this month to an exciting new gardening event. The Gardeners’ Gardening Show will bring together leading growers, such as salvia specialist Dyson’s Nursery, who will offer a range of beautiful plants and plenty of advice, along with suppliers of garden accessories. Throughout the three days there will be a range of talks from experts, including Mark Diacono and Carol Klein, in the 400-seater marquee, and visitors will also be able to explore the castle grounds with their themed and formal gardens, meadows, lakes and woodland trails, set around the 15th-century moated castle. 13-15 May, 10am-4pm. Admission £18. gardenersshow.co.uk
3 FOR THE GARDEN…
Small plant supports
CLASSIC
Barrington Domed Plant Support, smallBarrington small, £35, Garden Trading, 01993 845559, gardentrading.co.uk
NATURALISTIC
Elegance Ripple Plant Support, from £8.49 (H 40cm), Agriframes, 0117 934 1790, agriframes.co.uk
SINGLE STEMS
Plant Crooks, from £10 (pack of 4, H 65cm), Plant Belles, plantbelles.co.uk