What’s most surprising about this year’s “taboo-breaking” pleasure garden

When you picture of Chelsea Flower Show, you’ll likely imagine crowds of straw-hatted visitors in linen suits and floral midi dresses, leafy gardens studded with beautiful blooms, glasses of bubbles and perhaps a Royal Family member or two. All creating an undoubtedly pleasurable experience. What is unlikely to spring to mind, however, is anything remotely taboo. Well, this year, there’s an exciting addition to the show’s line-up – a deliberately ‘taboo-busting’ garden designed to celebrate pleasure in a whole other way entirely.

london, england may 22: members of the public enjoy the displays at rhs chelsea flower show on may 2, 2025 in london, england. running from may 20 24, the annual event by the royal horticultural society sees garden designers competing to earn coveted bronze, silver or gold medals with their imaginative landscapes and floral displays. (photo by ben montgomery/getty images) Ben Montgomery

Chelsea attracts thousands of visitors every year.

At the 2026 show, you’ll find a new garden putting an unexpected theme at its centre: sexual freedom. The ‘Lovehoney presents: Aphrodite’s Hothouse’ garden will be in Houseplants Studio section, and has been conceived as ‘the ultimate pleasure garden’. The indoor garden has been sponsored by sexual wellness company LoveHoney, and will feature a ‘Tunnel of Love’ and promises a ‘very intimate feel’ and ‘daring celebration of plant sexuality’.

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James Whiting

Plants spotlighted in the garden will include Phalaenopsis orchids, Anthurium, pendulous Nepenthes, Zantedeschia (calla lily), Homalomena and plenty of ‘wandering vines that coil and entwine with knowing intent.’ If it sounds provocative, that’s because it’s intended to be, with the official description warning visitors to ‘expect a few raised eyebrows’.

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Pendulous Nepenthes will feature in the garden.

While the garden is being sponsored by LoveHoney, it has been created by London-based botanical designer, James Whiting who has his own studio, Plants by There. James has won Gold Medals for indoor plant displays at Chelsea Flower Show in the past, but we’ll have to wait and see how his latest design fares against this year’s competition.

Chris Jackson

All the action from Chelsea will be broadcast on BBC.

Chelsea Flower Show will return to the grounds of Chelsea Hospital again this May, running from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23. Tuesday and Wednesday are reserved for members only, but members of the public can buy tickets to visit the show on the other days. Coverage will also be provided on the BBC, so you can watch all the action from home if you can’t make it down to the event in person.