The King has joined forced with two recognisable faces to form an unlikely trio ahead of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. King Charles, Sir David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh are championing ‘The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden’, which aims to promote the joyful side of gardening and the ‘vital contribution plants make to the health of people, places and planet,’ says the RHS.
The garden is being designed by Frances Tophill and will feature elements honouring each of its three ‘champions’. To honour The King’s passion for sustainability, the garden will be completely free of concrete and will feature work by alumni of The King’s Foundation, to showcase artisan crafts and skills. The RHS has also revealed that delphiniums will play a big role in the planting of the garden, as they are His Majesty’s favourite flower.
Mark Cuthbert
The King and Alan Titchmarsh at the Royal Windsor Show last year.
WPA Pool
The King and Sir David at the King’s Foundation charity awards at St James’s Palace in 2024.
As Sir David Beckham is a keen purveyor of the veg patch, the garden will also include plenty of fruit, vegetables and herbs with some of David Beckham’s favourite plants also starring. While Sir David may no longer be a player on the pitch, his football legacy will be referenced in the design through the inclusion of seven raised plant beds. The number is a playful nod to the iconic number 7 shirt worn by Sir David while a player.
Courtesy of RHS
A sketch of what the The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden design will look like.
Meanwhile, to honour legendary modern gardener Alan Titchmarsh, the design will be showcasing ‘the highest standards of horticulture and celebrating the breadth of horticultural careers though stories we tell about the garden,’ said Frances Tophill in a release. At the centre of the garden will be an oak building as a ‘museum of curiosities’, starring a wide range of horticulture, including dried flowers displays. Above you can see the official sketch of what the final garden should look like.
PAUL GROVER
King Charles and Sir David at the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show.
One other potential feature of the garden is a celebrity designed gnome. Chelsea Flower Show has lifted its usual ban on the ornaments this year, for only the second time in its history. This is because the RHS will be asking stars to design their own gnomes, which will be auctioned for charity and could even star in the RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious, according to The Independent.
This year’s Chelsea Flower Show takes place from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 May, with the first two dates being reserved for members only.
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