This year is a landmark year for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Not only is it celebrating its centenary year, but the 100-year ban on garden gnomes has also been lifted! Gnomes were by no means the most unusual garden feature at this year’s show, however, as innovative sculpture,  unusual materials and unique aesthetics have been used to create some truly memorable displays.

Other gardens have a more sombre mood, however, with many raising awareness for charities such as Arthritis Research UK and Sentebale. Throughout the show the gardeners’ incredible skill and dedication is abundantly clear, and will no doubt inspire visitors to make the most of their own green spaces at home.

Visitors who walk down Sloane Street on their way to the show this year will also notice two floral elephants on its east side, which were installed on Monday to raise awareness of Habitat for Humanity’s Animal Ark initiative. This charity project, alongside many others, will have its own garden at the 2014 show.

As for so many great London institutions, the first 100 years really are only just the beginning!

The Chelsea Fringe

Commencing on Saturday, the Chelsea Fringe celebrates the forthcoming RHS Chelsea Flower Show with an extended programme of horticultural events around London. There is a huge variety of events – most of which are free – on offer: visitors can enjoy everything from treasure hunts to floral-themed cocktails. See the Chelsea Fringe website for full programme details. 18 May-9 Jun

Museums at Night

An inspirational festival for those of a nocturnal persuasion, Museums at Night opens up most of London’s cultural institutions for three evenings of learning, exploration and fun. Whatever your interests, there should be something for you; whether that’s a pyjama party at Hampton Court Palace, a 1940s-themed event at the RAF Museum or a tour of the magnificent Banqueting House. For a full list of events, times and ticket prices, visit the Museums at Night website. 16-18 May 

Propaganda: Power and Persuasion at the British Library 

A must for anyone who is curious about how governments communicate with and influence their citizens, the British Library’s new exhibition promises to be a fascinating insight into international state propaganda. Concentrating on the 20th and 21st centuries, the exhibition uses posters, films, cartoons and texts to illustrate the sometimes surprising ways in which people can be informed, mis-informed or persuaded. Entry is free for under 18s or £9 for adults.. 17 May-17 Sep

Curiosities and Quirky Fans at the Fan Museum

Celebrate the quirkier side of fan-making at this wonderful small museum in Greenwich. At this new exhibition you can explore the history of ‘alternative’ fan-making and see how craftsmen have incorporated both unusual objects and designs into their beautiful creations. Admission is £4 for adults. 15 May-1 Sep

Gefiltefest  

Get the best challah, falafels and bagels in town at the Gefiltefest London Jewish Food Festival. Taking place at Ivy House, the former home of ballerina Anna Pavlova, the festival will offer a mix of food stalls, cooking demonstrations, lectures, tastings and workshops. Highlights include talks by award-winning Jewish authors, a chance to find out who won the 2013 Jewish Food awards, and a debate on the merits of eating locust. Adult tickets are £25. 19 May

More events in London

The Belgraves Edible Garden

Between 21 and 25 May the Belgraves hotel, located in Knightsbridge, is transforming its terrace into an Edible Garden that features a wall of edible flowers and an interactive cocktail station. Not only will there be cocktail classes and ‘food and flower pairing’ tutorials, but guests can also take away seed packets so they can enjoy the same tastes at home. Those staying in the hotel can opt for the full Bed, Brunch and Botany’experience, which features delights such as brunch in bed, an edible flower recipe book and complimentary cocktails.

Chelsea in Bloom

For eight years Chelsea in Bloom has been extending the wonders of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show throughout the entire borough by encouraging local retailers to create their own floral displays. These creations, this year themed on ‘decades’ to mark the centenary of the prestigious flower show, are assessed for prize-worthiness by official RHS judges and can be viewed between 20 and 25 May. To see them all, join the regular tours, which take place every half hour.

A Guide to Green Scents at the Athenaeum Hotel

Not only is this 5 star hotel on Piccadilly offering a menu of delicious floral cocktails for the duration of the Chelsea Fringe, but it is also hosting ‘a guide to green scents’ on 21 May. This evening event is inspired by the hotel’s landmark Living Wall (right), and features a talk by perfume specialist Lila Das Gupta on perfumes that capture the fragrance of nature, plus a guide to the scented flowers that are grown on the Athenaeum’s wall. Tickets for the talk cost £15 per person and include the talk, canapés and a cocktail. Send an email to reserve your place.

Chelsea Flower Show Menu at LIMA

For the duration of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show LIMA, the Peruvian restaurant in Bloomsbury, is putting on a celebratory menu that puts a flowery twist on their national cuisine. Dishes include orange and pisco poached lobster salad and steamed fillet of halibut with rhubarb blue potato aji Amarillo. Guests can either opt for a three course menu which includes a Chelsea Cocktail of melon and pink Champagne (£60) or order from the a la carte. The menu is available from the 20 to 26 May.

Floral Afternoon Teas

Given the traditional nature of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, it’s no wonder that many venues are serving special afternoon teas during the week to celebrate. Radission Blu Edwardian, Vanderbilt, for example, is serving a Floral Afternoon Tea throughout May that includes rose fruit jellies and orange blossom and lavender scones (£29.50). Nearby, the Royal Garden Hotel offers elderflower posset, jasmine opera and rose marshmallow as part of its celebratory Afternoon Tea during Chelsea week, which is accompanied by tunes from the resident pianist (£24). Further east, The Dorchester has worked with the team behind Laurent-Perrier’s 2013 show garden to create a menu that includes delights such as a ‘lavender basket’; a dark chocolate tartlet infused with lavender scent and decorated with a spun sugar handle. This afternoon tea menu is available between 20 and 26 May for £56.

Floral Facials and Cocktails

The Jumeirah Carlton Tower is offering a range of excellent floral indulgence options; why not follow one of their new Rose Facials (£65) with a Chelsea Flower Show-themed cocktail in the hotel’s Rib Room Bar? Guests can choose between rose, camomile and elderflower martinis – yum!

The Avant Garden in Covent Garden

Head to the Covent Garden piazza to see Crabtree & Evelyn’s twist on the classic British herb garden. Created by garden designer and rising star Emma Coleman, ‘The Avant Garden’ will be a tranquil urban oasis that promises to be a highlight of the 2013 Chelsea Fringe Festival from 14 May to 9 June.

Floral Cocktails at Barts, South Kensington

Popular speakeasy Barts, situated close to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is offering a special cocktail in honour of the event. ‘The Chelsea Flower’ is a mix of home-made lavender-infused Grey Goose Vodka, peach liquor and jasmine essence, garnished with a molecular raviolo of lavender. Furthermore, guests can really get into the spirit of the occasion by availing themselves of the bar’s dressing-up box, which will feature a range of floral-themed items during the show week.

Floristry classes and lunch at Tom Aikens, Chelsea

Learn the delicate art of floristry at the Michelin-starred Tom Aikens restaurant in Chelsea, where you can create a stunning arrangement of freshly-cut blooms to take home, before tucking into a delicious three course lunch that contains edible flowers. The package also includes coffee and pastries and a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne. Classes run throughout the RHS Chelsea Flower Show week, as well as on selected other May dates, and cost £120.

Chelsea Fringe at Battersea Power Station

This free event takes place between 17 to 19 May and 21 to 26 May, and allows visitors to enjoy a variety of entertainment and activities in the newly-opened temporary riverside park at Battersea Power Station. The focus of the fringe hub at Battersea will be installations, including one that features 35 people planted knee-deep in soil to promote conversations on sustainability. See the website for opening times and full details.

This month, we begin by wishing happy birthday to the London Hilton on Park Lane, the first Hilton hotel to open in the UK, which turns 50 this week.

New Hotels

As spring arrives, so does a bumper crop of new London hotels. Here are London’s hottest new hotels:

Great Northern Hotel – Relive the romantic age of train travel at the Great Northern Hotel, which re-opened this month. The hotel, which was London’s first railway hotel, has undergone a £40 million refurbishment and offers a quiet oasis in the hub of King’s Cross and St Pancras. The 91-bedroom hotel has been refurbished to exude “timeless elegance with a hint of modernity”. Room rates from £250

The Apartments by The Sloane Club – For stays of seven days or more, try a luxury serviced apartment in the exclusive neighbourhood of Sloane Gardens. Apartments are set in two beautiful late 19th century buildings and guests have access to a 24-hour concierge. Rates from £220 per night excluding VAT. Opens this week

One Leicester Street – A new boutique hotel comes to London on 1 May. One Leicester Street is the first hotel from the Unlisted Collection to open in the capital. Opening on the site of the former St John’s Hotel on the edge of Chinatown, the property will feature 15 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar. The restaurant will be headed by Michelin-starred chef Tom Harris. Opens 1 May

Nadler Soho – Boutique hotel brand base2stay is becoming Nadler Hotels, and opening a new property in London. The Nadler Soho promises “affordable luxury” with stylish rooms and Local Ambassadors on the front desk providing an introduction to the best bars and restaurants nearby. Opens late May

Xenia – Coming to South Kensington next month is Xenia hotel, situated in a restored Victorian building with contemporary interiors. The boutique hotel includes 99 bedrooms, an Italian restaurant, and a bar with a herb garden terrace. Opens in May, room rates from £160

Chelsea Flower Show

Even if you haven’t got tickets to this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, you can still be there in spirit thanks to London’s hotels.

Belgraves – A Thompson Hotel in Knightsbridge will be transforming its terrace into an edible garden for the duration of the show (21-25 May), with edible flower cocktails, and food and flower pairing classes. Both the Landmark London and the Royal Garden Hotel are offering floral-themed afternoon teas during Chelsea Flower Show week – reservations recommended.

Extra, extra

• The Goring hotel has received the Tea Guild’s Top London Afternoon Tea Award 2013
• The Berkeley has launched new balcony rooms which include luxury wooden birdhouses on the terraces!
• In its 175th anniversary year, Brown’s Hotel is celebrating with a Victorian menu at HIX from 20 May and welcoming British nail brand Ciaté to its spa

The Great Pavillion contains a diverse mix of exemplary gardens: we particularly enjoyed the Trinidad and Tobago Horticulture Society’s garden, the Willams F1 display and David Austin’s spectacular roses.

Outside, vying with the temptations of Pimm’s, champagne and other delights from the catering stands, is an inspirational variety of gardens.  Much media attention has been focused on Diarmuid Gavin’s pyramid, which dominates the skyline, but we were haunted by the poignant beauty of the DMZ Forbidden Garden.

Opening today, this year’s Chelsea Flower Show sold out in record time.

If you didn’t manage to get tickets, you can still get into the horticultural mood with our pick of floral-inspired teas, cocktails and menus:

• Blooming Botanical Breakfast at Peter Jones: Start the day with a poppy seed bloomer, rose petal and blueberry muffin, and pot of jasmine infused green tea for a wallet-friendly £9.95. Available 25-29 May, 9:30-11:30am
• Jigsaw, King’s Road: Pick up an item from Jigsaw’s SS11 collection today and enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne while you admire the store’s floral installation. 24 May
• Fleur-tea at the Wyndham Grand: Tuck into a floral-themed afternoon tea with treats including caramelised rosemary flowers, violet and blackcurrent éclairs and lavender shortbread. £25, available throughout May
• Laurent-Perrier floral cocktail at the Blue Bar: Inspired by an English summer garden, this special cocktail mixes strawberry puree, rose liquer and Laurent-Perrier Brut champagne. Available 24-28 May
• The Chelsea Flower at Barts: Speakeasy bar Barts is offering a double dose of flower power with a potent cocktail containing Grey Goose Vodka, Creme de Peche de vigne, and Mette spiritueux de Lavande plus a floral-themed dressing up box! £15.50, available until 29 May

What have we missed? Tell us in the comments below.

Tell us a bit about the garden you’re creating at Chelsea Flower Show this year?

It’s basically a vegetable and herb garden. The most modern element is a large flat glass platform which covers the seating area. It weighs three tonnes!

This is your 9th year at Chelsea Flower Show. What’s so special about it that keeps you coming back?

I’m a glutton for punishment! It is hard work and difficult because you get the same rectangular space every time. But it’s fun because you create a garden in two weeks that would usually take 10 years. I think the team like it too – it’s buzzy.

The show sells out every year, why do you think people love it so much?

It’s all the razzmatazz – people come for the show gardens really. All the gardens are extreme and different. It’s so inspirational and exciting. Also because it’s small, you can’t fit that many people in and that contributes to the atmosphere. It’s a stunning show.

Do you have any tips for people visiting Chelsea Flower Show for the first time?

When you look at a garden don’t just think “wow”, try to analyse why you like it and take some tips home. It’s all about scale this year – big is beautiful. It’s fun to play around with scale.

Are there any gardens at the show that you’re particularly looking forward to seeing this year?

All of them because you walk past them twice a day and they are constantly changing. The Sheffield University guys are doing a good job. The Telegraph garden also looks good. There are lots of foreign gardeners here which is great because the show attracts a mass audience and if you show here you can get into media all over the world.

What are the final preparations you’ll be making now?

The very last thing is to wheel out the tulips which have been kept in a refridgerated store. They’ll pepper the garden with colour and add a bit of zing. Hopefully if it’s not too hot, they’ll last all week.

What’s your favourite garden in London?

I’m looking forward to seeing the planting in the perennial meadows at the Olympic Park – it’s some great planting work which will have some great colour.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital Chelsea, 24-28 May 2011

But there’s one more thing: this year a little piece of the Mediterranean is coming to London as the Principality of Monaco is launching its first ever garden at Chelsea Flower Show.

The garden was commission by Prince Albert II and will represent a private roof garden in Monaco. It is designed to reflect the natural topography and geography of Monaco and will be planted with a wide range of exotic plants from the region.

In keeping with Prince Albert’s reputation as The Green Prince, the garden will focus on sustainability, including a flat roof system that collects rain for use in water features and a pool that is naturally filtered.

Award-winning British gardener Sarah Eberle commented:

“I am delighted to be the designer selected to work with a dedicated team, including designers, administrators and advisors, in bringing an exciting conceptual garden to Chelsea that reflects the character, personality and vibrancy of Monaco.

“I have been involved in the industry for 35 years, and in designing and constructing show gardens for 20 of those years. I can honestly say that this is one of, if not the most exciting project that I have worked on and I promise you all a garden that will delight and excite the senses.”

See the Monaco garden at the Chelsea Flower Show,  24-28 May 2011. Book tickets

Where else can you find Monegasque culture in London? Tell us in the comments below.

On Saturday afternoon, I took my mum and sister along to Harvey Nichols to sample the new Floral Afternoon Tea inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show.

Served in the formal Fifth Floor Restaurant, the tea started with a pretty Chelsea Rose Cocktail, made from gin, black cherry jam and elderflower liqueur, topped with champagne and flower petals.

Next came a selection of delicious finger sandwiches on different breads. Our waiter explained that they bring sandwiches before cakes and scones, so the scones aren’t left to go hard while you’re eating your sandwiches. They really had thought of everything!

Then, what we’d been waiting for: the cake stand, which was loaded with a selection of floral cakes. Our favourites were the fruit scones with cream and violet-infused strawberry jam.

We also munched our way through hibiscus financiers, amaretti, rose petal eclairs and lavender cupcakes with pansies on top.  The cakes aren’t just decorated with flowers, they actually taste of flowers. The jam reminded us of old-fashioned violet sweets, while the cupcakes had a strong lavender taste.

The tea seemed to be popular with women – the dining room was full of mainly female groups enjoying cakes and cocktails, Sex and the City-style. I’d definitely recommend the experience for a girly day out, or as a special treat after visiting the flower show.

Floral Afternoon Tea is available at Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Restaurant throughout May. £24.50 per person, including a Chelsea Rose Cocktail.