Britain's top garden experts sharing their wisdom with Country Life — and you're invited
Join Jo Thompson, The Land Gardeners, Jekka McVicar and Shane Connolly for a celebration of gardening in a series of talks and seminars during Chelsea Flower Show week.
Book your ticket for Country Life's celebration of gardening event at Chelsea Barracks.
Country Life will be hosting two events at The Chelsea Barracks Spring Fair next month, timed to coincide with the first Chelsea Flower Show to be held in May since 2019, which takes place across the road.
The first event will feature Chelsea gold medallist Jo Thompson, who is curating the series of talks for the fair; the others are Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld of The Land Gardeners.
There will also be a chance to attend talks and events hosted by Shane Connolly, Jekka McVicar, Manoj Malde, plus Chelsea gold medallists Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg. They will cover a range of subjects, from environmental floristry and colour in the garden to the medicinal properties of herbs and how soil is key to healthy plants, people and the planet.
Book tickets here on the Eventbrite website — and you can scroll down to see the whole programme.
The fair will see the outdoor spaces of Belgravia’s newest destination transformed to celebrate the flower show’s return with floral and plant installations by environmental floristry pioneer Shane Connolly, as well as specialists offering the best of British food and drinks, artisanal products and workshops.
Mulberry Square will be transformed into a marketplace curated by the Beautiful & Useful Craft Fair, where visitors will be able to buy sustainable crafts, such as ceramic pots, British-grown plants and rustic plant supports.
There will also be homeware and gardening accessories, including silkscreen prints of flowers and herbs by Hannah McVicar, flowers from the Electric Daisy Flower Farm in Wiltshire, plus florist’s accessories, gifts and sculptural and functional woodwork by Ash and Plumb.
For more information, visit www.chelseabarracks.com. The Spring Fair celebrates the first of several new openings coming soon to Chelsea Barracks on a permanent basis this year
The Spring Fair Programme
Wednesday May 25
2pm — Herbs: more than a garnish
By gardening expert, author and broadcaster Jekka McVicar
4pm — Soil to table
By award-winning garden designers and renovators The Land Gardeners
6pm — The gardener’s palette
Hosted by internationally renowned landscape designer and Chelsea gold medallist Jo Thompson
Thursday May 26
2pm — How green is your bouquet?
By pioneer in environmental floristry Shane Connolly
4pm — Highgrove Gardens Through the Years
By Emma Cochran-Patrick of Highgrove Gardens
6pm — Creating a sense of space in your garden
By award-winning landscape designers and Chelsea gold medallists Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg
Friday May 27
2pm — Creating intimate garden spaces
Hosted by landscape designer and Chelsea gold medallist Jo Thompson
4pm — Colour my world
By award-winning garden designer Manoj Malde
6pm — The art of the outdoors
Sculpture and the landscape by art curators Marshall Murray
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
-
How well do you know these fictional friends and foes? It's the Country Life Quiz of the Day, February 16, 2026From modern favourites to classic icons, they’re all here, so let's put your knowledge to the test.
-
These are a few of James Haskell's favourite thingsThe former rugby forward talks to Hetty Lintell. Illustrations by by Ollie Maxwell.
-
Reimagining the past at VaughanIn September 2025, leading designers shared their views on creating interiors with the capacity to last forever.
-
Tetrad: Over half a century of timeless good looksSince 1968, Tetrad has employed a combination of traditional skills and the finest materials to make upholstered furniture that is designed to offer years of comfort.
-
Reimagining the past: A panel discussion with VaughanAt Focus/25 later this month, Vaughan will host an inspiring talk at which leading names in antiques and interiors will explain why understanding the past is vital to designing for the future.
-
Star of the show: Rose of Jericho's paint created just for Country Life at RHS ChelseaOne of the highlights of Country Life's ‘outdoor drawing room’ at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show was a new paint colour created by Rose of Jericho,
-
Munder-Skiles and the art of exterior decorationThe success of this project — which was awarded four stars by judges at the Chelsea Flower Show — demonstrates Isabella Worsley’s versatility as a designer.
-
The joy of English stoneWhen the interior designer Isabella Worsley conceived Country Life's ‘outdoor drawing room’ at this week’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, she worked with English stone specialist Artorius Faber to lend the space a timeless feel
-
Four stands not to miss at the Chelsea Flower ShowFrom wire sculptures to water features, oil paintings to tableware, take inspiration from the exhibitors at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and liven up your home and garden, just in time for a–hopefully–glorious summer.
-
Sell your valuables with ease with The Antique Buying CollectiveThe Antique Buying Collective treats gold and silver as heirlooms, not scrap. From Victorian brooches to Georgian silverware, each piece is appraised for its history, craftsmanship .and charm, then thoughtfully rehomed through a trusted network. It’s a respectful approach, giving fine antiques the second life they so richly deserve
