Alan Titchmarsh painted a gnome for the king’s garden at the Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday, joining a one-off easing of the show’s long ban on garden ornaments to help raise money for the Royal Horticultural Society’s school gardening campaign.
The veteran gardener said his gnome was dressed in a neat blue suit, with a red and white striped tie hidden by a giant beard. “I think it’s no harm to have little ones sneaking out now and again to remind us that you might as well have a bit of fun,” Titchmarsh said, adding that painting the figure had taken him “ages.”
The gnomes are set to be auctioned during the week, giving the show a rare exception to a rule that has shaped Chelsea since 1927. This year’s decision was temporary and made to support fundraising, but it also reflected a broader shift in tone at a flower show that is trying to reach beyond its traditional image and into school gardens.
King Charles is said to have wanted the gnome ban lifted so some could be placed in a feature garden he co-designed with Titchmarsh and David Beckham. Beckham painted his own gnome in pink and glitter, while other celebrities taking part included Dame Mary Berry, Sir Brian May and Floella Benjamin. Bailey also backed the push, arguing that gnomes have been unfairly maligned because of their ancient role as guardians of the garden.
The sight of gnomes on the Chelsea grounds is still a rarity, and that is what makes this year’s display newsworthy. The show has frowned on them since 1927, but for this week at least, the rule is being bent for a cause that reaches beyond the exhibition itself: getting more children into gardening. Titchmarsh, who has previously dismissed rewilding as an ill-considered trend that could drain gardens of their botanical riches, sounded more expansive here. Asked about wildflowers and nettles in the king’s garden, he said, “They’re wildflowers! I love nettles, they’re good for butterflies. No, we need them in the garden, we want to attract wildlife.”
The auction should settle whether Chelsea’s concession stays a novelty or becomes something more. For now, the answer is in the lot numbers, the bids and whether the public backs a bit of mischief with its gardening money.
