Chelsea Fringe

Jonathan Trustram leading the Self Seeders Walk, showing the use of self-seeding plants by the Putting Down Roots project of St Mungo's.

Chelsea Fringe is a garden festival in London which is runs concurrently with the Chelsea Flower Show. It consists of a variety of events and displays across multiple locations in London. It was started in 2012 by Tim Richardson and is run by volunteers. In 2012, events included guerrilla gardening, a bicycle beer garden and oranges and lemons at Shoreditch.[1][2][3]

In 2013, the fringe expanded to approximately 200 separate events, with the core site being a pop-up park at Battersea Power Station. Ben Dark, reviewing for The Daily Telegraph, described the fringe as a "sprawling mess" but praised most of the exhibits which he visited, including the Gnome Invasion of Ockendon Road, the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, and the Office Garden in Buckingham Palace Road.[4]

The festival was suspended in 2024 when Tim Richardson stepped down as the main organiser. It featured more than 2,220 events in its run of 12 years.[5]

  1. ^ Ed Cumming (18 May 2012), "Chelsea Fringe 2012", The Daily Telegraph
  2. ^ Chelsea Fringe Flower Show launched, BBC, 21 May 2012
  3. ^ Pattie Barron (23 May 2012), "The Chelsea Fringe: the alternative flower show", Homes & Property, archived from the original on 15 May 2013, retrieved 26 May 2012
  4. ^ Ben Dark (25 May 2013), "Chelsea Flower Show 2013: review of the Chelsea Fringe", The Daily Telegraph
  5. ^ Lynch, Gail (26 January 2024). "An announcement from the Chelsea Fringe festival » Chelsea Fringe". Chelsea Fringe. Retrieved 21 May 2024.