RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025: A stunning display by David Austin and the launch of The King’s Rose
Words and Images: Sarah Bacon
The David Austin Chelsea Flower Show display is always one of the highlights in the Great Pavilion and we enjoyed a preview of this year’s showpiece on Press Day.
The vibrant and colourful exhibit features a diverse selection of roses.
From shrub roses with large flowers to delicate ramblers that weave their way around the arches, the display celebrates some of the best specimens from the David Austin collection.
2025 is a particularly special year because The Sloaney’s Editor, Dr Laura Toogood (pictured below at the David Austin Chelsea Flower Show display), has a number of roses featured in ‘The Handbook of Roses 2025’ by David Austin. One of her Paul’s Himalayan Musk roses was also selected as the calendar image for the month of May.
“It was a tremendous honour for David Austin to photograph some of my collection”, she commented. “I began growing roses about 10 years ago, without any prior experience. We have a relatively challenging landscape, but they seem to like the situation. I find it relaxing and it is a great way to enjoy some downtime from work.”
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a wonderful opportunity to see and smell different types of roses. The David Austin roses are very resilient and there is a broad selection available to suit different situations.
As the gates of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 opened, David Austin announced the launch of The King’s Rose™. For twelve years this English shrub rose has been lovingly nurtured to embody natural beauty, strength, and a deep respect for the Old Roses. Shaped like a vase, this English rose grows to around 4ft high and 3ft wide, flowering generously throughout summer, offering enduring beauty to borders and beds.
Visitors to this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be able to see a number of roses on show if they visit the David Austin exhibit, which is located in the Great Pavilion.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 Social Diary: Famous faces arrive to admire the gardens – The Sloaney
