7 Need a London hotel during Chelsea Flower Show?We have insider deals and availability: Call the Club on 020 7399 2960 FRONT RUNNERS CHELSEA Flower Show is a five- day extravaganza with hundreds of gardens, thousands of guests and the Royal seal of approval, with regular Royal visits. Put simply, it’s the best flower show on earth. All who love gardens want to be there to see how the country’s leading horticulturists transform several acres of Chelsea Royal Hospital into a floral fantasia—and it pays to book early as it is always sold out. Even those who shun garden fashion find it impossible to resist. The aim is to be there on RHS members-only days (Tuesday and Wednesday).Thishasalwaysbeen tea to canapés and Champagne, Raymond Blanc’s Jardin Blanc is the place to go (and our Members can enjoy some exclusive rates). You’ll find floral-inspired after- noon teas at The Dorchester’s pop-up Drawing Room—to which our Club Members are invited guests, and have special rates to- gether with a stay and dinner at The Dorchester Hotel itself. Don’t miss their signature cocktail, Her Majesty’s Cup, served from a flo- ral teapot. It is the perfect way to get the best from a day at Chelsea. ¶SeealsoLondonhotels(pp92-111) and country hotels (pp210-221). Chelsea,thegreatestshowinearth looked at as the only civilized way in which to see this magnificent display—andthosewhoachieveit arewonttodineoutonitallyear. To these two days we add the final day, Saturday, which is the way to be sure of snapping up the plants before the stallholders pack up to leave—and thereby making sure your own garden captures some Chelsea style for the season. Chelsea is of course hard work. Its scale is simply amazing. The marquee alone covers nearly 4 acres and takes 24 men more than two weeks to erect—providing there are no gales. For the ex- hibitors it represents years of de- voted labour. But for the show at- tendees, too, Chelsea is an effort. During the day you will walk miles, having oohed and aahed over flowers of every hue, mar- velled at the exotic, appreciated the perfectly formed, wondered at the latest designs and noted the plants you’ve sworn to grow in your own garden—this can be ex- hausting, and to be strong enough to appreciate Chelsea to its fullest a little pre-planning is a good idea. There is some delicious food to sustain you at Chelsea. For every- thing from a lunch or afternoon Chelsea Flower Show heralds the arrival of the English Season. All who love gardens want to be there to see how the country’s leading horticulturists transform several acres of Chelsea Royal Hospital into a floral fantasia—and it pays to book early as it is always sold out. Even those who shun garden fashion find it difficult to resist Chelsea and you are invited to attend this great floral festival with exclusive Club benefits