5 Planting and Design Trends From RHS Chelsea 2026 That Will Work Beautifully in Any Backyard
The trends that inspired me (and can inspire you, too) as I strolled the Chelsea showground
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is held in London every May, and this world-famous flower show showcases the best of horticulture. While some of the sights are quintessentially British (like garden gnomes, which hit the headlines this year), there are designers and growers from around the globe and trends on show that can inspire gardeners across the Atlantic.
I scoured the showground, taking in the sights and sounds of the show gardens on Main Avenue, the container and balcony gardens, and the delights from growers in the Great Pavilion to spot five trends that were everywhere at the show, and are easily implementable in the US.
Charming Low-Maintenance Grasses
Across the show gardens, there were lots of ornamental grasses swaying in the spring breeze. They were part of many displays, but of all of them, it was Baz Grainger’s The Killik & Co ‘A Seed in Time’ Garden that showcased these jewels more than any other, with 21 different species of grasses in the design.
Grasses were popular across the showgrounds for their innate ability to bring height, texture, and movement to the gardens, plus they come in a smorgasbord of sizes, shapes, and foliage types. Indeed, there will be a grass for any size or style of garden.
They may not demand as much attention as showier herbaceous perennials, but grasses provide a glorious backdrop. Not only are they stunning, but they are also simple to grow, low-maintenance, and beneficial in a wildlife garden, as birds use them for food and shelter.
This trend can easily be introduced into US gardens. Grasses thrive in sunny yards with well-draining soil; they won’t be happy in dry or waterlogged soil. The good news is you can grow many grasses in containers if your soil type isn’t suitable.
Prairie dropseed grass (Sporobolus heterolepis) is a hardy native grass that is perfect for small gardens or containers. It grows to 2-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, with vibrant green foliage that turns golden yellow in fall and is topped with pink-tinted seedheads. You can get a live prairie dropseed plant at Nature Hills.
Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle
Those with keen eyes will have spotted a fair share of repurposed elements across the various show gardens. While the Chelsea Flower Show is renowned for the glitz and the glamor of gardening, the designers do embrace sustainability and try to reuse materials where possible.
From Patrick Clarke embracing ‘wabi-sabi’ – the Japanese philosophy of reusing and transforming discarded materials – and recycling steel rafters in ‘The Children’s Society Garden’, to filing cabinets repurposed as plant containers on Lynn James ‘The Seasalt Painted Garden’ in the container garden displays, gardeners were finding novel ways to give materials a new lease of life.
Copy this idea at home and think outside the box when planning your container gardens. For a more eco-friendly garden, there is a long list of household items to repurpose as unusual planters.
You may fancy upcycling a filing cabinet too, which I thought looked glorious painted a bright blue and planted with vivid flowers. Or why not try planting up old bathtubs, metal buckets, food tins, or even old boots? Repurposing these old items adds real personality to a space and offers a unique alternative to traditional pots.
Just remember to add a drainage hole to any planter to prevent plants from rotting.
Planting for Pollinators and Wildlife
In recent years, interest in wildlife and pollinator-friendly gardening has rocketed. This was again evident across the Chelsea Flower Show 2026, with gardens featuring a broad range of plants to attract pollinators, beneficial insects, and birds.
There was a plethora of plants for bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, and bats across the showground. The likes of verbena, cow parsley, foxgloves, viburnum, and baptisia, for example, were all included in beds and borders.
Some took it even further, such as including specific plants for nocturnal pollinators on Arit Anderson’s 'Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey Garden', like Digitalis pupurea ‘Alba’ to attract moths, and plants to attract moths and bats on ‘The Bat Conservation Trust’s Nocturnal Garden’.
You can create a pollinator pit stop in a garden of any size – you don’t need a large space to entice lots of wildlife and beneficial insects. The best options are native plants that have evolved over the years to co-exist with your local wildlife.
It is not difficult to start growing for wildlife in your yard. It can be as simple as sprinkling these ‘precious pollinators mixed flower seeds’ from Botanical Interests into your yard. Featuring seeds for 14 different species, most of which are native to the US, you’ll grow an array of plants that are magnets for pollinators.
Create an Oasis With Flowing Water
Flowing and mowing water was all over the showground, ranging from thin rills to large pools, and was evident in all scales, from the large show gardens on Main Avenue to the container garden displays.
Creating a calm sanctuary was a common trend throughout the gardens, and the relaxing sounds of flowing water play an important role in creating that oasis. The presence of moving water in a garden is relaxing and reduces stress, and it can provide a vital distraction to loud noises in urban spaces.
It is a trend easily replicable in gardens of all sizes, as there are water feature ideas for yards large and small. For example, a small tabletop garden fountain (such as this cascading bowl fountain at Wayfair) can bring the soothing sound of moving water to a balcony, courtyard, or small garden.
Rainwater harvesting was another trend on display throughout Chelsea. I saw intricate rain chains on show, as designers encouraged people to think about saving rainwater and reducing water waste in the yard.
You can get a matte black lotus flower rain chain at Amazon, which both brings the sound of flowing water to a space and helps with water management, as it can divert water to moisture-loving plants in a rain garden or into a rain barrel for storage.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Mention the Chelsea Flower Show and most people will conjure up images of pristine spaces, manicured to sheer perfection. While that is the case, there was a lot more ‘wilder’ planting and even (say it quietly to not shock the neighbors) weeds in the gardens.
Sarah Eberle’s The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: ‘On the Edge' garden, for example, had buttercups, milk thistle, and even stinging nettles on display. While these plants are often seen as unwanted intruders, they are great for nature, and native weeds can support many pollinators and beneficial local wildlife.
Elsewhere, cow parsley, wildflowers, ferns, grasses, and groundcover plants were packed into lush borders, alongside self-seeding plants included to bring a degree of longevity to designs.
As well as looser, wilder planting, there were also lots of drought-tolerant plant choices across the gardens to reflect our changing climate. Going forward, gardens need to evolve to suit our changing planet, and climate-friendly choices and natural planting may be the future norm.
If you want more Chelsea inspiration, our guide to the best gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 reveals five of the top highlights – as picked by our Head of Gardens, Rachel Bull – and how you can recreate the styles and elements in your own space.
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