Peter Dowdall: Billy Alexander to go for Kerry gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

No stranger to the podium at the London event, Billy Alexander of Kells Bay Gardens returns to the 2025 flower show with his sights set firmly on a third gold medal 

Billy Alexander, Kells Bay Gardens.

THERE'S a quiet revolution underway in our gardens. It’s not loud or showy, it doesn’t demand attention with vivid blooms or heady scent. But step into any shaded corner where the soil stays cool and damp, and you may notice it, the unmistakable unfurling of a fern frond, coiled like the head of a violin, emerging with all the grace of a botanical ballet dancer taking the stage.

Ferns are living fossils from a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. And they’ve remained relevant, adaptable, and profoundly beautiful. Perhaps you’ve overlooked them in the past, we are all prone to not putting enough value on that which is freely available all around us but there’s never been a better time to fall in love with ferns, as this May, ferns are stepping back into the limelight quite literally, with Ireland’s own Billy Alexander returning to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London with what promises to be his most ambitious display yet. If ever there was a moment to shine a spotlight on these ancient wonders, this is it.