Gnomes return to Chelsea
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has lifted its garden‑gnome ban for 2026 — King Charles backed the move and celebrities like Cate Blanchett and Sir Brian May will paint gnomes for the event. Kernock Park Plants is debuting five major new plant releases and Weleda Skin Food has signed on as a multi‑year partner, signaling a playful but commercially serious show. ( )
The RHS and The King’s Foundation have commissioned the “Curious Garden” for RHS Chelsea, designed by horticulturist and TV presenter Frances Tophill for the show running 19–23 May 2026, and the project lists The King’s Foundation Ambassador Sir David Beckham and RHS Ambassador Alan Titchmarsh CBE among contributors. (rhs.org.uk) Decorated gnomes created for the Curious Garden will be sold by auction, with proceeds earmarked for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, the society’s flagship education and wellbeing programme for pupils. (rhs.org.uk) RHS communications link the decision to Highgrove tradition — citing a gnome regularly placed in Highgrove’s Stumpery — and UK media report that King Charles III backed the inclusion as part of the King’s Foundation collaboration. (rhs.org.uk) Weleda has signed a three‑year partnership with RHS Chelsea to mark the 100th anniversary of Skin Food, acting as the show’s official skincare provider and staging a feature stand inspired by the Weleda Gardens on Main Avenue. (prolandscapermagazine.com) Ahead of the show Weleda highlights commercial scale: the brand says a tube of Skin Food is sold roughly every six seconds worldwide and that global volumes grew by about 300% over the past decade, figures it is using to underpin its Chelsea presence. (theindustry.beauty) Kernock Park Plants is promoting five headline introductions for the Chelsea trade programme this year, while the Cornish nursery’s catalogue lists more than 1,200 varieties and the company supplies in excess of 1,300 wholesale customers across the UK and Europe. (hortweek.com) Public tickets for RHS Chelsea 2026 start at £107 and the RHS lists Member Days (19–20 May 2026) as sold out, underscoring the event’s high attendance and commercial significance. (rhs.org.uk)
