The Royal Horticultural Society, the UK’s gardening charity, has lifted the ban on gnomes at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, to raise funds for the next generation of gardeners.
Celebrities including Sir Brian May, Dame Mary Berry, Baroness Floella Benjamin and Bill Bailey have decorated gnomes which are being auctioned off to raise funds for the RHS’ Campaign for School Gardening, which inspires school children to learn through gardening, boosting pupils’ wellbeing, skills and environmental awareness.
Historically gnomes have been prohibited from the world’s leading horticultural event, first excluded from exhibits inside tents in 1927, with the ban later extended to all RHS Chelsea gardens.
The RHS last lifted the gnome ban in 2013 to celebrate the centenary of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the charity’s biggest fundraiser, as well as to raise funds to get more children gardening in schools.
The auction closes at 7pm on Sunday 24th May – view auction site
Billy Bad Axe
Gnome by the name of ‘Billy Bad-Axe‘ painted and decorated by Sir Brian May, musician best known as the lead guitarist of Queen
Source RHS Auction Site