An edible skate park, growing for gut health, and a tropical forest full of rare and unusual plants put a twist on gardening in the All About Plants category line-up supported by Project Giving Back at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Featuring 100% edible plants, the Planet Good Earth Garden by Betongpark & Urban Organic turn their garden into RHS Chelsea’s first edible skate park with a two tonne granite skate ramp nestled amongst its planting. Created by a collection of skaters, parents and food growers, the garden highlights how fun outdoor learning in a natural setting can positively impact wellbeing and confidence in young people.
Taking another new approach to grow your own, the Bowel Research UK Microbiome Garden by Sid Hill and Chris Hull champions growing for gut health, offering a probiotic feast in the form of an edible wildflower meadow. Sweet dock, lupins, and camassia feature heavily for their gut positive qualities as the garden explores the connection between soil health, plant life, and the human microbiome.
Turning away from the traditional planting palette usually seen at RHS Chelsea, The Size of Wales Garden by Daniel Bristow will feature 313 different plant species, many rarely seen at the show, reflecting the number of tree species present in just one hectare of tropical forest. Plants include the moss-like carrot relative Azorella trifurcata along with the eyeballed pincushions of Leptinella ‘Country Park’ and the alien looking Rubus squarrosus.
Taking inspiration from a more typical UK forest ecosystem, The Pulp Friction: Growing Skills Garden creates an inclusive space to challenge perceptions of what people with learning difficulties can achieve.
Other gardens in the category champion the joy and magic of gardens to aid mental health and inclusivity. The Panathlon Joy Garden has been designed with an uplifting look and feel to demonstrate that joy is for everyone and the Sue Ryder Grief Kind Garden provides a peaceful sanctuary in which to reflect.
Helena Pettit, Director of Shows, Commercial and Innovation said: “There is such a broad spectrum of ideas running through the All About Plants gardens this year and it’s great to see new takes on old trends coming to life in the designs."
"Whether you garden for your own health, the health of the planet or just for the joy of it, these gardens have something for everyone with inspiration for gardeners to try something new.”
All the gardens in the All About Plants category are supported by Project Giving Back, the unique grant-giving charity that supports gardens for good causes at RHS Chelsea, the designs in this category have a focus on unusual and specialist plants to offer a different take on the story of a garden.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 21-25 May 2024 and tickets are available online at rhs.org.uk/chelsea
