Design for extremes of weather at Chelsea Flower Show
Can design help us live alongside climate change? How do we navigate climate change when it comes to growing food, maintaining ecosystems, managing floods and droughts and protecting our landscapes to withstand weather extremes? Visitors to Chelsea Flower Show 2024 were forced to come face to face with this new reality as many gardens focused on the challenges of how unusual weather patterns are affecting the environment we live in.
It was a privilege to visit the show this year, which is something I have been wanting to do for many years. The standard of the gardens was outstanding, and it always impresses me that so much can be achieved within just a couple of weeks, not just in building the gardens but in enabling the plants to establish and look like they have been there for some time. What was really nice is that all of the gardens are now being relocated after the show so that they can be enjoyed in deserving spaces such as hospices, community green spaces and hospitals. It is amazing to think that fully-grown trees can be transported and re-planted, as well as the installation of sculptures, rare plants, water features, walls and buildings.
What really struck me about the show this year was the emphasis on extreme weather patterns and how this will affect how we design gardens, landscapes and what we plant.
Design Highlights
The Water Aid Garden - Gold Medal
A garden that kept capturing my attention was the Water Aid Garden by Tom Massey and Je Ahn. The water harvesting pavilion created a beautifully structural focal point amongst the beautiful planting, which included drought-resistant plants.
“This structure efficiently harvests rainfall, filtering and storing this precious resource for drinking and irrigating whilst also slowing flow and providing shade… WaterAid harnesses a range of simple, affordable rainwater collection methods to bring essential water supplies to households and schools in areas prone to water shortages or water contamination. Rooftop collection means water can be harvested near to home, so women and girls do not need to spend hours walking to collect water, and this technique has inspired the structure Je and Tom have designed for the WaterAid Garden, maximising the surface area for rain to be collected and stored.” - Water Aid
Forest Bathing Garden by Ula Maria - Gold Medal and best Show Garden
Image from RHS
One of my favourite gardens was the Forest Bathing Garden by Ula Maria, for Muscular Dystrophy UK. Somehow, amongst a busy and crowded show, the designer managed to create a haven of peace and tranquillity, with tall trees and soothing colours. Accessibility was a priority in this garden, to cater for those with Muscular Dystrophy and to create space of refuge during diagnosis and beyond.
“The design of the garden is inspired by the ancient Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, which means bathing in the forest atmosphere and reconnecting with nature through our senses. The garden seeks to awaken imagination and innate connection to nature by bridging a gap between us and the natural world.” - RHS
Killik & Co: ‘Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees’ - Silver Gilt Medal
Sometimes it isn’t just the plants that capture your imagination. In this garden I was struck by the beautiful dining table that appeared to be set for a dinner party. It made me imagine having a garden with a beautiful dining area like this, surrounded by beautiful plants that called upon colour theory to reduce anxiety. This was a curious mix with a rusted steel and stone structure for the dining area, but the effect was magnificent.
St James’s Piccadilly: Imagine The World To Be Different: Robert Myers - Gold Medal
This was a fascinating garden, with a range of design influences. Looking at how nature reclaimed spaces that were bombed in the war, it also seeks to create pockets of nature in urban spaces for communities to enjoy and find peace and reflection. Drawing upon the tradition of ‘conversations under trees’, the garden is also planted with resilient species that found a foothold in the building it was bombed in World War II.
The significance of design at the show extends beyond mere aesthetics; it encompasses a holistic approach that combines creativity, functionality, sustainability, and innovation. The emphasis on design at Chelsea sets the benchmark for gardening and landscaping worldwide, inspiring both amateur and professional gardeners to explore new possibilities and embrace sustainable practices. It highlights the transformative power of thoughtful, well-executed design in creating spaces that enhance our lives and respect our environment.
