What you missed at our 2025 Chelsea Flower Show trip (Carex-plorers speaking)
You know that feeling when you hear about a trip and think “I wish I’d been there”? Well, our recent Chelsea travelers have been making all non-ground Carex team members feel exactly that way.
Let’s dive into what you missed at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show and Great English gardens trip, according to them.
20 strangers who became garden friends…
You know how it goes… one moment you’re worried about spending a week with complete strangers, and the next – you’re laughing over garden stories like old buddies.
Within a day or two, our group felt like they’d known each other for years. Everyone had a garden story to share: even some “husbands who weren’t really there for the gardens," were swapping plant photos by the end of the week.
One guest told us, "Everyone was so genuinely interested in the gardens and eager to learn from each other. No ‘prima donnas’, just lovely people to be around."
-
Enjoyed the Chelsea Flower Show
We’re all about honesty here, so we have to mention that some guests were skeptical at first about spending only half a day at the show. So, you can imagine our relief and happiness when the exact same people told us we’ve got the timing just right.
"It was crowded, but we all expected that," said Michele. "Kitty and Chris (our guides) knew exactly when to visit the Big Show gardens… We saw everything we wanted to see at Chelsea."
And Margaret was over the moon: "Chelsea was a dream come true… We were just constantly blown away. I even saw Monty Don!"
-
Met head gardeners and garden owners
This is the part of our trip we can never fully guarantee, but it always becomes one of the biggest highlights. These meetings are tricky to arrange, as you can imagine, but when they happen, they leave long-lasting memories.
This year was exceptional. At Knepp, our garden enthusiasts met Charlie Harpur and Moy Fierheller, the head gardeners, who walked them through their rewilding project.
At Great Dixter, they had the chance to meet with head gardener Fergus Garrett – a legend in the gardening world.
And at Pettifers, head gardener Polly led the tour personally, sharing the garden’s story and answering every question. The sweetest surprise was when our travelers were invited into the kitchen at Fairlight End for tea and homemade cakes with the owners themselves.
"Being shown around by Polly at Pettifers, who was so enthusiastic and willing to answer every question, and then having tea with the owners at Fairlight End – you just can’t plan moments like that," said Lisa.
Tracey was still on cloud nine: "It was fascinating to sit in their kitchen, discussing what they’ve created over coffee and little cakes". She felt it gave her such a different perspective, hearing directly from the people who shaped these gardens.
These genuine interactions, when garden creators share their passion firsthand, often become the stories our travelers value most.
-
Visited England’s greatest garden masterpieces
Here’s a thing we love about our group: everyone has different garden tastes and reasons to be on this trip. Some were hunting for ideas they could “steal” for their own yards, while others wanted to be completely wowed by something grand and unattainable.
Our itinerary satisfied both camps.
“All the gardens were amazing. We were obviously seeing different gardens for different reasons,” Michele shared.
This variety hit the sweet spot. Dan loved “the ones in people’s backyards – small enough to manage and get ideas from,” while Seyra and her husband were there “to be wowed by something amazing, not something attainable.”
Our Carex-plorers were even moved to tears by some gardens, and that’s the power of exceptional design.
All that thanks to our guides Chris and Kitty – or as our guests called them, a “spectacular team.”
Chris kept everyone laughing and at ease with his down-to-earth energy, while Kitty kept everything running like clockwork with her organization skills and deep knowledge of English gardens and countryside. Together with our driver Aaron, they created the kind of seamless, fun experience that turns strangers into garden friends.
We don’t want to paint an overly rosy picture – there were a few things that didn’t go as smoothly as we’d hoped. But we’ve listened to every piece of feedback and our design team is now busy making the necessary improvements for the next group of Carex-plorers.
Does it sound like a trip you’d like to experience yourself? Well, you’re in luck – our Chelsea 2026 dates are now published.
from $7,568 USD