Royals and canines shine at Chelsea Flower Show

The Chelsea Flower display opened its gates to royalty and celebrities on Monday, with canines, surprisingly, taking the highlight.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been a number of the first to excursion the gardens on show, being joined by way of noted figures like soccer icon David Beckham and actress Cate Blanchett.

This 12 months’s tournament favours rewilding and sustainability, with mossy paving, local planting and gravel paths.

Designers leaned into herbal landscapes formed by way of local weather alternate and a rising want to reconnect with nature.

But it used to be no longer simply the planting that were given folks speaking. The RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, created by way of Monty Don, gave four-legged guests uncommon most sensible billing.

Created with dog convenience in thoughts, it options dog-friendly lawns, water for wallowing and shade-providing bushes. Names of royal and broadcaster-owned canines are etched into brick paths – together with the past due Beth, the Queen’s Jack Russell, her new pet Moley and the King’s canine Snuff.

Don, no longer in most cases partial to display gardens, mentioned the danger to have fun the dog-owner bond had received him over.

The lawn may not be judged and won’t keep. After Chelsea, it’ll discover a everlasting house at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Along with Beckham and Blanchett, Dame Joanna Lumley and actor David Tennant have been amongst the ones getting a preview of the world-famous tournament, along side BBC presenter Zoe Ball.