Our columnist Alan Titchmarsh is a supporter — and a vice-president — of the RHS. He worries, however, that horticulture could be missing from Chelsea Flower Show of the Royal Horticultural Society.
What is the purpose of the Chelsea Flower Show? Is it the highlight of the social year and the beginning of the season? Is this a way for us to bring gardening to the forefront as spring begins and a chance for gardeners to impress and shock? Or is this a way for the Royal Horticultural Society, or RHS, to publicize itself? In reality, this is all of these and having attended the horticultural event every year since 1969 it’s been fascinating to see it grow and gain more attention.
Perhaps that profile has something to do with the nation’s ever-increasing awareness of environmental concerns — of climate change, global warming and sustainability. It would be a pity if this was the only motivating factor. Call me old-fashioned if you want, but I like to think that in the third week in May, on the greensward in front of Chelsea’s Royal Hospital, we have a chance to celebrate that middle initial of the RHS. It…
