Chelsea allows gnomes again
The RHS has lifted its long‑standing gnome ban for Chelsea Flower Show 2026 — only the second time in over 35 years that garden gnomes will appear at the show, signaling a looser, more playful design stance. Designers see this as a shift toward personality in high‑end garden design. (irishnews.com)
The RHS and The King’s Foundation are staging the Curious Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show on 19–23 May 2026, with horticulturist and TV presenter Frances Tophill named as the garden’s designer. (rhs.org.uk) Celebrity-decorated gnomes will be sold at auction to raise money for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, the charity’s flagship programme to get children gardening and boost wellbeing and environmental awareness. (rhs.org.uk) A similar celebrity gnome auction was held at Chelsea in 2013 to mark the show’s centenary, when figures such as Elton John, Lily Allen, Alan Titchmarsh and Joanna Lumley decorated gnomes that were later auctioned for the same school‑gardening campaign. (cbsnews.com ) Celebrities already confirmed to paint gnomes for 2026 include Cate Blanchett, Dame Mary Berry, Brian May and Baroness Floella Benjamin, with the RHS saying the full celebrity line‑up will be announced in May ahead of the show. (rhs.org.uk) The Curious Garden is a joint RHS and The King’s Foundation project and the RHS notes the inclusion of a gnome nods to a Highgrove tradition where a gnome is often placed in the stumpery, while ambassadors on the build include Sir David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh CBE. (rhs.org.uk) RHS director‑general Clare Matterson said the initiative is intended to encourage playfulness and curiosity in gardening while supporting the Campaign for School Gardening’s work to inspire children to learn through gardening. (rhs.org.uk)
