The Politics of RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Disappointment, and (lots of) Cake
26 May - 01 June 2025
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ELLO.
We’re in the luteals again people, which means one thing: it’s time to bake a whole cake. ITS THE ONLY WAY! (note: the magnesium tablets I’m taking are really good at reducing premenstrual sugar cravings .. however sometimes you still need a full vicky sponge just to take the edge off.)
This week has been a little hectic for me, I’ve been trying hard and not quite getting anywhere. Nevertheless, she persists! I enjoyed Chelsea Flower show this year, as always, however I may also be too woke for it :(
Happy reading!
Now That I Think About It
Disappointment can really open a can of mental worms. I wrote an article last week that took me a while to write and I was proud of it. It was passionate, well researched and full of heart - exactly how I wish my writing to be.
I put it out into the world and got radio silence back.
Writing is not only a tool for my self expression, but also a vehicle for connection (as I hope you agree, dear reader.) When my work falls into the void, it can seem pointless.
As my writing failed, I wondering how on earth I hadn’t realised it before. Deep down I am essentially nothing more than a weird disgusting creature with odd thoughts and evil ways. This failure is just another example of how stupid, ugly, and dumb I am and how I will never be able to function properly in society.
I always knew failure was a teacher, who asks you to persevere, to keep going, to get good at taking rejection, but I didn’t realise until now the excruciating reality of how that feels. Writing forces me to meet my demons head on, again and again, and in learning to understand them (to love them), I feel a little weaker, then a little stronger each week. I think each person’s chosen path, no matter what they are doing, is teaching this lesson - how to live with your demons. Even though it’s a struggle, the lessons seem important.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 and … Microsoft ??
Monty Don is a very sassy man. Each year of the show he has a lot of opinions on the displays, some of which have gotten him into trouble in the past. His co-presenters always look like they’re two seconds away from cutting the feed entirely, which I find really hilarious and entertaining.
I’m a big fan of the show. I think gardening is one of the most accessible ways to improve your immediate surroundings and boost your mental health. I get a lot of inspiration from watching and learning from the exhibitors, espeically as they show you round the beautiful installations on a glorious sunny day. It’s all very aspirational.
Yet this year, I kept thinking of a quote by Chico Mendes: “environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening.”
Until as recently as 2021, Chelsea Flower Shower didn’t have clear recommendations to exhibitors on how to reduce waste or remain carbon neutral. That year, they launched the the RHS Sustainability Strategy, asking Show and Sanctuary garden designers to voluntarily report on the carbon footprint involved in their plans. In 2024, the ‘Environmental Innovation Award’ was launched, creating a prize to specifically reward sustainability efforts.
Before that there had presumably been .. nothing? Education is a big part of the organisation, alongside charity contributions, yet it remains an apolitical viewing experience. It’s role seems to be to sell the dream of being a wealthy aristocrat walking mindfully through your private garden, tuning out the outside world. (It is, after all, run by the Royal Horticultural Society.)
Yet, RHS have never shied away from corporate partnerships. This year, one of the most popular installations was called 'The AI-Powered Garden’ by Tom Massey. Made in collaboration with Microsoft, the display was built with sensors that measure how plants are faring eg. growth, soil conditions, and weather fluctuation. Using an app, “visitors can have one-on-one conversations with trees, learning what specific care they need and how they are faring.” They went onto say the display is, “exploring how AI can play a role in supporting the health and survival of urban trees in the midst of the climate crisis.”
The climate crisis? Is this the same billion dollar tech company that builds crypto currency and AI servers which absorb thousands of aches of land and water? The same company that admits to supplying AI resources to Israel's war on Gaza? I can’t help but think that sensors on trees aren’t what we should be focussing on here.
Although I find Chelsea Flower Show very enjoyable in it’s own way, it is not real. By choosing not to rock the boat, RHS are picking a side by default, and if they continue to for much longer, the exhibitors at Chelsea will end up gardening while the world burns.
Art Corner
‘Not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do is the secret of happiness (and no spoilers)’ - J.M Barrie
🎵 Carmen, Olivia Dean (2023, Universal Music)
A beautiful track about Dean’s grandmother who came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation.
First time on a plane, 18, you came
You found a door and held it open
No way to know how to make a home
In someone else's motherland
You transplanted a family tree
And a part of it grew into me
Weekly Stats
TikTok lives viewed against my will: 10
Polenta cakes eaten: 3
Holes in my clothes: 6 (do I have moths?!)
Apples: 1 a day bitch I’m so back!!
Lush bath bomb: Nae Stressie Nessie
Next week on the rickleverse
I’ll keep you updated on my research around my summer travels and my first experience of doing a new trendy pilates classes where you slide around on a board.
See you then!
Love you,
Rachael
