Here is a guide to all the confirmed show gardens, key events and highlights due to appear at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 this week.
Artisan Gardens
Guide Dogs' 90th Anniversary Garden
Designed by Adam Woolcott & Jonathan Smith Built by Conway Landscapes Sponsored by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
The wildlfower garden tells a story and Encompassing sculpture and sensory elements, the garden depicts a journey that someone with sight loss takes.
The Blue Diamond Forge Garden
Designed by The Blue Diamond Group Team Built by Conquest Creative Spaces Sponsored by Blue Diamond
Hoping to capture the spirit of The Forge at Branscombe in Devon, a selection of edible herbs and food are grown in the informal cottage garden and wildflowers decorate the banks of the stream that flows through the main garden.
Sanctuary Gardens
Bible Society: The Psalm 23 Garden
Designed by Sarah Eberle Built by Landform Consultants Ltd, Sponsored by Bible Society.
The Psalm 23 Garden hopes to provide a peaceful area for one to pause and reflect in. The feelings of calmness that the garden evokes hope to enable engagement with nature and physical and mental restoration.
Finnish Soul Garden - A Nordic Heritage Seaside Garden
Designed by Taina Suonio Built by Conquest Creative Spaces Sponsored by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
The designer tried to capture the natural green Nordic seaside environment, by including a green roof above the sauna area, a calm water feature and traditional summer flowers.
The Calm of Bangkok
Designed by Tawatchai Sakdikul and Ploytabtim Suksang Built by AJ Watts Landscaping
This vibrant and diverse garden has been designed to capture different elements of the cosmopolitan city of Bangkok.
Finding Our Way: An NHS Tribute Garden
Designed by Naomi Ferrett-Cohen Built by Bunham Landscaping Ltd Sponsored by University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
This garden is a tribute to all the unsung heroes form all areas of healthcare during this last year. Featuring a hardwood canopy, planting and pools, the water represents the collaboration between staff, which is shown through the series of rills and pool. There are also warm tones flowing through the planting, such as Acer griseum, Rosa ‘Phyllis Bide’ and R. glauca.
The Parsley Box Garden
Designed by Alan Williams Built by Landform Consultants Sponsored by Parsley Box PLC Designers
Inspired by the celebrated Nordic restaurant Noma, four-time winner of Best Restaurant in the World, The Parsley Box garden focuses on conserving nature’s bounty through fermentation and preservation. The garden is primarily herbs and edibles and the colour scheme will encompass rust, ochre and orange.
The Boodles Secret Garden
Designed by Thomas Hoblyn Built by The Garden Builders Sponsored by Boodles Designer
The Boodles Secret Garden was inspired by the well-loved children’s story by Frances Hodgson- Burnett. The garden showcases a contemporary interpretation of the journey to an enchanted, life changing sanctuary. It will display naturalistic planting, with muted green and cream colour themes.
Show Gardens
The M&G Garden
Designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg Sponsored by M&G
A peaceful oasis and refuge for people and wildlife to share. The garden takes on concepts such as biodiversity, resilient planting which supports wildlife, and features water in the form of a naturalistic pool.
Guangzhou China: Guangzhou Garden
Designed by Peter Chmiel with Chin-Jung Chen Built by The Outdoor Room Sponsored by Guangzhou, China.
Based upon the team’s trip to this city in China, they were inspired to base the garden design upon core elements they observed within the city of Guangzhou.
The Florence Nightingale Garden - A Celebration of Modern Day Nursing
Designed by Robert Myers Built by Bowles & Wyer Sponsored by The Burdett Trust for Nursing
Celebrating 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale, the design is of an imagine courtyard garden for a new hospital and hopes to gently nod to the critical role that nurses play in healthcare today. There are shaded places to sit, naturalistic planting, lush greenery and water to help evoke a calm and peaceful place that the senses can engage with.
The Yeo Valley Organic Garden
Designed by Tom Massey, supported by Sarah Mead Built by Landscape Associates Sponsored by Yeo Valley
The garden starts with a perennial meadow packed with a variety of colours and scents, and moves on to an egg-shaped, steam-bent oak hide, which hangs above the flowing stream.
Trailfinders' 50th Anniversary Garden
Designed by Jonathan Snow Built by Stewart Landscape Construction Sponsored by Trailfinders
The design has been inspired by the landscape of Kathmandu. Within this garden, there is a shelter which is inspired by the vernacular architecture of the region and a series of paths criss-crossing the garden. Unique planting is on display that is representative of the Himalalyan climate.
Bodmin Jail: 60°East A Garden between Continents
Designed by Ekaterina Zasukhina with Carly Kershaw Built by Cube 1994 Ltd Sponsored by Bodmin Jail
A diverse mix of planting palettes from Europe and Asia is displayed in this garden that ultimately pays homage to Russia’s Ural Mountain landscapes.
RHS Queen’s Green Canopy Garden
Taking centre stage on the famous 'triangle' the garden strives to highlight the importance of woodlands and trees to the environment. The show garden will feature 21 trees, grassland, colourful planting, a wildflower meadow and be wildlife-friendly. It will measure a total of 433m2 and fill the largest plot at the show this year.
What is the Queen’s Green Canopy?
Launched earlier this year, the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) initiative aims to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and invite people nationwide to plant a tree for the Jubilee.
Designed by David Dodd, the show garden seeks to inspire people across the UK to start planting trees from October, when tree-planting season officially begins, through to the end of 2022. Dodd has been delighted to have been involved in the design of this garden.
After the show, all the trees featuring in the show garden will be moved to RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford, Manchester.
Other highlights to look forward to
Balcony Gardens
Proving that you don’t have to have a large garden to have a beautiful one, this new category will feature a diverse range of small gardens. From clever tree planting, to green border edges, scented plants and a space for entertaining; five exhibitors will feature their diverse imaginative designs.
Container Gardens
Another new category for 2021, an array of creative, container designs with different themes. Five exhibitors will each feature their own unique take on container gardens. From a pocket forest, to urban-themed garden and even street art; this will be a vibrant exhibition not to miss at the show.
Houseplant Studios
The Houseplant Studios will feature a selection of lush, green plant displays from a variety of six exhibitors. Each exhibitor takes on a different theme and covers a broad, diverse range of house plants that will no doubt provide inspiration for your next house plant purchase.
Great Pavilion
After a busy day perusing the show gardens, be sure to make time to do some shopping at the Great Pavilion. As always, an exciting list of exhibitors will be present.
Also at the Great Pavilion, the Floristry Competition will feature as the centre piece. The concept is ‘Our World’ and designs will encompass four themes in their exhibits. These are, British Blooms and Preservation, which will feature ‘Floral Windows’. Pollination and the Beauty of Nature will showcase larger floral installation. The Floristry & Floral Design Competition will feature a total of 14 exhibitors and a panel of expert judges will vote for the winner.
Food and drink – As always, there will be excellent selection of food and drink experiences to enjoy. Jardin Blanc provides a haven for exquisite dining and unwinding. Head Chef, Raymond Blanc OBE, has designed the menu. Think unforgettable food and brilliant bubbles to enjoy whilst browsing some excellent shopping stalls.
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