Lovehoney made history last week with its guest appearance at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Partnering with Plants By There’s botanical designer, James Whiting, they set out to develop ‘the ultimate pleasure garden,’ “Aphrodite’s Hothouse”. It was steaming hot.
Whiting has won the Best Houseplant Studio award for the past two years. Did his coupling with Lovehoney help him repeat his success for a third time?
Aphrodite’s Hothouse received a coveted gold medal in the Houseplant Studio category. It was designed on the themes of love, lust, beauty and desire, celebrating the Greek gods Aphrodite and Eros while introducing sexual wellness and houseplants into everyday life. Despite the enduring symbolism between plants and sexuality, this is the first time it has been explored in the 113-year history of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Designer Whiting said, “Houseplants, much like pleasure, are something we should celebrate openly and abundantly!” The greenhouse studio features genitalia-reminiscent tropical plants like Anthurium and Nepenthes, along with philodendrons, moth orchids, and wandering vines to get lost in. Lovehoney adds its own unique stamp with bold neon statement signs and swathes of pinks and reds in tulle and satin.
This culminates in a candle-topped mantelpiece and gold illumination of Aphrodite’s classic image rising from the sea on an oversized scallop shell. Even the planting scheme isn’t free from euphemistic artistic license. This shows us that plants really do have a place everywhere and are an essential part of interior design.
Aphrodite’s Hothouse was not the only entry appearing at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to raise awareness of social issues. The Silent No More garden is centred around a design of the female body that aims to raise awareness of gynaecological concerns. Additionally, to aid in sustainability awareness, every Houseplant Studio plant produced for the show goes on to a forever home afterwards.
Is this a bid to target different markets? Gen Z are known for prioritising social issues, and flowers have also long been an emblem of the queer community; violets in particular have been used as a method of sapphic identification. There have been concerns raised about the longevity of the event as people spend less time in green spaces. However, this is a turning point towards inclusivity for the show that cannot be ignored.
I’ve never thought about attending the RHS Chelsea Flower Show before. I closed-mindedly thought there would be nothing there of interest to me, but they have managed to do the unthinkable, and sex it up. Maybe I’ll see you there next time?
Written by Leah Marie Cox
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