King Charles has helped bring a popular garden ornament back from the cold after his encouragement led to an informal ban on it being lifted.
For years, it’s been a polite no to garden gnomes at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show but this year, they will be back and it’s down to The King.
King Charles has a soft spot for the fun a garden gnome can bring to the outdoors and so this year, the ornament will have a special place at the show. Charles III is known to add the odd garden gnome or two to his own grounds at Highgrove House.
Brightly coloured gnomes, designed by celebrities, will feature at the Chelsea Flower Show with several taking up residence in the RHS and King’s Foundation Curious Garden which aims to encourage children and young people to take an interest in horticulture by making gardening fun.
As part of that initiative, the gnomes will crop up around the garden which will be filled with brightly coloured flowers including the blue of the delphinium, the favourite flower of King Charles III.
The gnomes will also find themselves sharing space with a brand new rose, named in honour of Sir David Beckham who is expected to visit the show.
The garden is also designed to support wildlife with every plant chosen having a function for pollinators while the trees used in the space have been selected to showcase biodiversity.
The RHS and King’s Foundation Garden at RHS Chelsea is being designed by Frances Tophill who has a wide range of experience including a year tending Monet’s famous garden and a spell at the Andromeda Botanical Garden in Barbados.
Her work also includes many years in gardens with vulnerable adults, including adults with learning disabilities and mental health challenges. She’s being helped by The King with ideas also coming from Sir David Beckham and top gardener, Alan Titchmarsh.
The RHS and King’s Foundation Garden also showcases the organisation that Charles III set up decades ago. The King’s Foundation aims to transform lives through education and training and by offering opportunities for thousands of young people every year to learn skills. Sustainability features heavily in its work and the garden celebrating it will focus on that, too.
The decision to bring back the gnomes is part of the drive to make the garden as reflective of the charity’s aims. It’s hoped the gnomes will underline the fun aspect of gardening to bring more young people into the outdoors and enjoying horticulture.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has only ever lifted its ban on gnomes once before. That was back in 2013 when they were allowed in to help celebrate the centenary of the show.
Then, as now, they were designed by celebrities. In 2026, the star creators will include Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett and Baroness Floella Benjamin as well as Dame Mary Berry and Sir Brian May.
The Director General of the RHS, Clare Matterson, said they ”want people to be playful with their gardening, which is why we’re lifting the gnome ban for these celebrity gnomes, who will then, by being auctioned off, help us do even more to awaken a curiosity in gardening in school children and support our national Campaign for School Gardening. Gardening in schools increases resilience, builds confidence, encourages curiosity and gives access to nature – it’s a vital resource that every school should have access to.”
And while the gnomes will make their main homes in the Curious Garden, some are expected to crop up elsewhere in the show which features dozens of gardens and which is held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The Royal Family will be able to see the gnomes up close as they traditionally attend the preview day of the show, touring its grounds. King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to lead the royals at this year’s event.
The gnomes will be on show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show between May 19 and May 23.
