It's not just human designers that get to show off their abilities at the world renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show, this year will see designers of the four-legged kind.
You may also like
- Discover all our up-to-the-minute Chelsea news
- How to design a garden at Chelsea
- Sign up to our Chelsea newsletter
- Tickets, information and what to expect at Chelsea
Ahead of the show this May, it was announced that broadcaster and gardener Monty Don will be designing his very first Chelsea garden - the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden. It has now been revealed that within the design team - which also includes plantsman Jamie Butterworth - will be Monty Don's golden retriever Ned.
The dog will be helping to create pathways throughout the garden to ensure that dogs are integral to the design and highlight the symbiotic relationship between dogs and gardens. Ned forged out paths that intersect through the planting, and these paths will be built within the design.
Jamie Butterworth said: “We had imagined that Ned would create sweeps and curves through the planting, or at least that is what we had designed. However, every time he ran off, he returned to Monty via the same route, and as such we have changed the designs accordingly.
“So Ned actually designed not just part of the garden, but possibly the most detailed and complex aspect.”
Other key elements to the garden will include a cattle trough made from zinc that serves as a water feature and accessible dog refreshment point; a flower meadow with tulips that are randomly planted into long grass for a naturalised appeal – a technique Monty uses at Longmeadow with spent bulbs from a previous year’s display and container displays in terracotta pots which have been crafted by Whichford Pottery and were designed by Monty with a little assistance from Ned.
More used to commentating on the show, this year Monty Don is collaborating with the RHS and BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley (a passionate gardener and dog lover) to bring us this year's Dog Garden.
Head to our Chelsea Flower Show page for all our coverage
Working together with Jamie Butterworth of Form Plants, Monty’s vision will be realised as a beautiful space that is proud to “wear its doggy heart on its doggy sleeve,” as Jamie puts it. The garden considers the needs of a dog – design cues include somewhere to shelter, to flop, some shade and water for wallowing.
Clare Matterson, RHS Director General, said: “We feel very lucky to have one of the nation’s best loved gardeners and one of the nation’s best loved dogs designing our RHS and Radio 2 Dog Garden at RHS Chelsea this year! As a nation of gardeners and nation of dog lovers we hope this garden makes people smile both when they hear about it and when they see it.
