The Top Trends from This Year's (Virtual) Chelsea Flower Show
This year’s virtual version of the RHS’s iconic show reflected our renewed love of nature and its restorative powers
Anyone who has even a small amount of outside space will probably have come to appreciate it even more over the past couple of months. Watching the natural world grow and flourish has been heartening in these restricted times.
As such, many of the themes we’ve seen gaining popularity over recent years, such as wildlife-friendly spaces and growing fruit and veg, were front and centre at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in the UK, which had the environment and sustainability at its heart. The live event was cancelled, but that didn’t stop the team from providing advice and inspiration through online garden tours, talks and demonstrations.
As such, many of the themes we’ve seen gaining popularity over recent years, such as wildlife-friendly spaces and growing fruit and veg, were front and centre at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in the UK, which had the environment and sustainability at its heart. The live event was cancelled, but that didn’t stop the team from providing advice and inspiration through online garden tours, talks and demonstrations.
We’re focusing on wildlife
Beekeeping in Britain has almost doubled in a decade, according to government figures, and the trend has taken off here too. The number reflects a general trend towards caring for and encouraging wildlife, something that was reflected in many of the Chelsea videos.
Frost gave us a tour of his walled garden, saying, “[The sound of] the birds singing has changed massively since 2016 when we moved here … and the wildlife that comes in now is incredible. So if you can garden a little bit more with wildlife in mind … our gardens are only going to get better going forwards”.
It doesn’t matter how small your garden is, it can still make a difference to wildlife. Tom Massey has replanted his slim front garden in London, UK, with an insect-friendly meadow. “Putting naturalistic wild plants in urban spaces creates wildlife corridors – areas of natural habitat for lots of different insects,” he says.
Charlotte Harris, whose Chelsea garden was designed to be “a restorative space for people and wildlife,” recommends taking inspiration from the thoughtfully designed Olympic Park in east London and “bringing water into the garden, letting materials rot down to help beneficial insects, and really just letting nature come in a bit more”.
Beekeeping in Britain has almost doubled in a decade, according to government figures, and the trend has taken off here too. The number reflects a general trend towards caring for and encouraging wildlife, something that was reflected in many of the Chelsea videos.
Frost gave us a tour of his walled garden, saying, “[The sound of] the birds singing has changed massively since 2016 when we moved here … and the wildlife that comes in now is incredible. So if you can garden a little bit more with wildlife in mind … our gardens are only going to get better going forwards”.
It doesn’t matter how small your garden is, it can still make a difference to wildlife. Tom Massey has replanted his slim front garden in London, UK, with an insect-friendly meadow. “Putting naturalistic wild plants in urban spaces creates wildlife corridors – areas of natural habitat for lots of different insects,” he says.
Charlotte Harris, whose Chelsea garden was designed to be “a restorative space for people and wildlife,” recommends taking inspiration from the thoughtfully designed Olympic Park in east London and “bringing water into the garden, letting materials rot down to help beneficial insects, and really just letting nature come in a bit more”.
According to a survey this year by coop manufacturer ChickenGuard, chickens are now five times more popular as pets than hamsters. Watching TV presenter Monty Don stroll through his glorious Herefordshire garden in the UK on his way to feed his brood certainly highlighted the attraction.
Meanwhile, another TV presenter – the Skinny Jean Gardener, Lee Connelly – suggests giving hedgehogs a helping hand. Many UK-based gardeners have become familiar with cutting holes in their fences to create a highway for these endangered creatures, and in Australia, the same principle applies to our native echidnas.
Let’s Get Sustainable: Bee-Friendly Gardens
Meanwhile, another TV presenter – the Skinny Jean Gardener, Lee Connelly – suggests giving hedgehogs a helping hand. Many UK-based gardeners have become familiar with cutting holes in their fences to create a highway for these endangered creatures, and in Australia, the same principle applies to our native echidnas.
Let’s Get Sustainable: Bee-Friendly Gardens
We’re embracing growing our own produce
Planting seeds, nurturing them, then eating the fresh produce is a joy more and more of us are discovering. As French chef Raymond Blanc says, “You don’t need very much space to see the magic of growing food”.
His 4.5 x 3.5-metre balcony is bursting with produce, all grown in containers – everything from broad beans, zucchinis and tomatoes to potatoes and herbs. Food grown close to home makes sense, he says – “better taste, better textures, better colours, better nutrients”.
You don’t need to have dedicated beds or containers, either. Frost is mixing edibles in with a meadow garden. “I like the idea of being able to go into the garden and pick some of the stuff we used to have a relationship with, and dressing a salad with it or using it in a sandwich,” he says.
Planting seeds, nurturing them, then eating the fresh produce is a joy more and more of us are discovering. As French chef Raymond Blanc says, “You don’t need very much space to see the magic of growing food”.
His 4.5 x 3.5-metre balcony is bursting with produce, all grown in containers – everything from broad beans, zucchinis and tomatoes to potatoes and herbs. Food grown close to home makes sense, he says – “better taste, better textures, better colours, better nutrients”.
You don’t need to have dedicated beds or containers, either. Frost is mixing edibles in with a meadow garden. “I like the idea of being able to go into the garden and pick some of the stuff we used to have a relationship with, and dressing a salad with it or using it in a sandwich,” he says.
We’re trying to garden organically
Whether in our food, our cleaning products or our gardens, many of us are trying to cut down on chemical use.
UK-based Yeo Valley organic garden creator Sarah Mead explains why she works this way: “Organic gardening is going with rather than against nature”.
The key to strong plants, she says, is the soil. “If it’s high in nutrients and well looked after, if it’s not flooded with chemicals and is full of microorganisms and worms doing a lot of your work for you, then you’ll have great, healthy plants that are resilient.”
Where garden pests are concerned, we might have to relax a little. “If you see white fly or black fly, go and have a cup of tea,” she says. “When you next go, lo and behold, somebody will be eating them. That’s nature’s way of making things work. [At the farm], we feed the birds in winter, but stop in summer to encourage them to [eat] pests.”
Whether in our food, our cleaning products or our gardens, many of us are trying to cut down on chemical use.
UK-based Yeo Valley organic garden creator Sarah Mead explains why she works this way: “Organic gardening is going with rather than against nature”.
The key to strong plants, she says, is the soil. “If it’s high in nutrients and well looked after, if it’s not flooded with chemicals and is full of microorganisms and worms doing a lot of your work for you, then you’ll have great, healthy plants that are resilient.”
Where garden pests are concerned, we might have to relax a little. “If you see white fly or black fly, go and have a cup of tea,” she says. “When you next go, lo and behold, somebody will be eating them. That’s nature’s way of making things work. [At the farm], we feed the birds in winter, but stop in summer to encourage them to [eat] pests.”
We’re inspiring the next generation
One of the more positive aspects of COVID-19 lockdowns has been the opportunity to get kids into gardening. The Chelsea Flower Show ran a School Gardening Club all week, offering tips on everything from making a seed bomb piñata to fun garden crafts.
“The RHS wants to inspire a passion for plants in school children, to train the next generation of gardeners, so they’re better equipped to find solutions to the problems facing the environment,” says RHS Ambassador Alan Titchmarsh.
Connelly suggested three ways to get children interested – grow edibles, attract wildlife and make the garden a fun place to be.
How Do I… Grow Vegies to Cook Winter Soul Food?
One of the more positive aspects of COVID-19 lockdowns has been the opportunity to get kids into gardening. The Chelsea Flower Show ran a School Gardening Club all week, offering tips on everything from making a seed bomb piñata to fun garden crafts.
“The RHS wants to inspire a passion for plants in school children, to train the next generation of gardeners, so they’re better equipped to find solutions to the problems facing the environment,” says RHS Ambassador Alan Titchmarsh.
Connelly suggested three ways to get children interested – grow edibles, attract wildlife and make the garden a fun place to be.
How Do I… Grow Vegies to Cook Winter Soul Food?
Small gardens can be beautiful, too
Having a small garden needn’t be a barrier to creating a beautiful outdoor area. Along with Massey’s petite but beautiful meadow and Blanc’s abundant balcony, garden designer Andy Sturgeon showed us round his 7 x 10-metre urban courtyard, in which he’s created a relaxing haven.
His recipe? Compromise, because you can’t fit everything in; a black fence, so it recedes into the shadows; trickling water to muffle traffic noise; and a patio just big enough that you can walk around it when people are sitting at a table, leaving enough space to circle it with planting.
Don’t be afraid to think big. “Bringing big things into a small space works,” he says. “If you flood a small space with small things, it makes it feel cluttered.”
Where trees are concerned, though, he has a suggestion. “People talk about using small trees in a small garden, but you should be talking about using large shrubs,” he says. “It’s a subtle difference, but you don’t want something that’s ultimately going to outgrow the space.”
Having a small garden needn’t be a barrier to creating a beautiful outdoor area. Along with Massey’s petite but beautiful meadow and Blanc’s abundant balcony, garden designer Andy Sturgeon showed us round his 7 x 10-metre urban courtyard, in which he’s created a relaxing haven.
His recipe? Compromise, because you can’t fit everything in; a black fence, so it recedes into the shadows; trickling water to muffle traffic noise; and a patio just big enough that you can walk around it when people are sitting at a table, leaving enough space to circle it with planting.
Don’t be afraid to think big. “Bringing big things into a small space works,” he says. “If you flood a small space with small things, it makes it feel cluttered.”
Where trees are concerned, though, he has a suggestion. “People talk about using small trees in a small garden, but you should be talking about using large shrubs,” he says. “It’s a subtle difference, but you don’t want something that’s ultimately going to outgrow the space.”
We’re bringing even more of the outside in
This year, Chelsea gave indoor plants a spotlight, reflecting the trend for greening up our interiors. But where a few years ago we might have placed a Pilea on a table or trailed a string of hearts from a shelf, now it’s all about abundance.
Indoor garden designer Ian Drummond suggested ways to create a house plant oasis. “Consider the space and [where] the light [falls],” he says. “Create a landscape by using different heights, shades and textures of leaves.”
It’s important to have plants at every level for a lush impression. “Position plants on the floor, on tables and even hung from the ceiling, especially if you’re tight on space,” he says. “[This will] soften the lines of the architecture and furniture to create a nice space to be in.”
Your turn
Which of these ideas would you like to embrace in your garden? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Need more gardening inspiration? Check out 9 Peaceful Garden Scenes to Bring a Moment of Serenity
This year, Chelsea gave indoor plants a spotlight, reflecting the trend for greening up our interiors. But where a few years ago we might have placed a Pilea on a table or trailed a string of hearts from a shelf, now it’s all about abundance.
Indoor garden designer Ian Drummond suggested ways to create a house plant oasis. “Consider the space and [where] the light [falls],” he says. “Create a landscape by using different heights, shades and textures of leaves.”
It’s important to have plants at every level for a lush impression. “Position plants on the floor, on tables and even hung from the ceiling, especially if you’re tight on space,” he says. “[This will] soften the lines of the architecture and furniture to create a nice space to be in.”
Your turn
Which of these ideas would you like to embrace in your garden? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Need more gardening inspiration? Check out 9 Peaceful Garden Scenes to Bring a Moment of Serenity
Anyone lucky enough to have access to an outdoor space in these restricted times will be aware of just how much nature can boost our wellbeing, benefiting both our physical and mental health.
So it’s no surprise that one of the key pieces of advice from UK-based landscape designers at Chelsea this year is simply to take the time to enjoy the natural world. Sarah Eberle says her first rule of gardening is to “just sit out there and really enjoy the green space around you”. Adam Frost emphasises the importance of stopping and sitting in your garden – finding secluded spots to just ‘be’. Listening to the birds and bees can be incredibly therapeutic, he says.
If you can, work a permanent seat into your garden, so you can pop out and enjoy the sights and sounds at every opportunity, even if just for a moment.
Eberle suggested taking some time to consider “how you can get the best out of your garden for your peace of mind and your physical health”. If you’re redesigning, or even just tweaking, your garden, find plants that bring you joy. Note down or photograph what you’re drawn to, both in your current space and out on walks, she says, “whether it’s the shadow [a plant] causes, its associations, or just the feeling it gives you when you look at it”.
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