19 inspirational, touching and funny Chelsea Flower Show pictures
Last week's Chelsea Flower Show produced all sorts of weird and wonderful display – we sent photographer Charlie Hopkinson along to record his favourite sights.


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Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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From Cornish Gilliflower to Rivers Early Peach: An apple a day keeps Britain’s heritage native fruit from dying out
81% of traditional apple orchards have vanished from Britain, but ‘heritage’ apples retain a following, says Jack Watkins, who rounds up nine of the most interesting.
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Goodwood Revival 2025: Pictures from the 'F1 of classic car races'
Here's everything you might have missed if you didn't get the chance to make it to West Sussex's most elegant event.
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Rare species: Meet the young gardeners destined for greatness
Sam Finch is the youngest head gardener at the National Trust.
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What Britain's top garden designers are planting now to create dazzling spring meadows around their homes
Non Morris reveals the techniques behind the contemporary take on William Robinson’s original idea of naturalising bulbs in long grass, creating an effect even more dazzling than a meadow.
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'The best bulbs are those that give maximum pleasure for minimum effort — and these are the ones which will keep delivering for years'
Now is the time to decide what bulbs to plant to make the most of next spring. Charles Quest-Ritson offers his advice.
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This restoration of a Cliveden garden honours the original vision of Norah Lindsay’s 1930s design
A biodiverse climate-friendly planting scheme replaces the annual bedding displays at this National Trust garden in Buckinghamshire.
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'Why do I allow the fuchsias in my garden to live on? Because, despite their visual shortcomings, I am a fool for edible pleasure'
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The best flower borders in Britain, and how they work their magic
We may have invented the flower border, but planting them remains one of the trickiest things to get right. Charles Quest-Ritson looks at the secrets behind the very best.
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The enchanting world of Christian Dior’s gardens
Christian Dior’s love of gardens and gardening is celebrated in a new book and exhibition at his family home.
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Inverewe: The making of 'The Oasis of the North' in a wind-battered corner of north-west Scotland
Innovative 21st-century composting and mulching techniques combined with a 19th-century shelterbelt ensure that the famous gardens of Inverewe in Wester Ross continue to thrive. Caroline Donald explains more; photographs by Andrea Jones.