Tag Archive for: RHS

RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden beds in at London school

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden beds in at London school: The first ever RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden designed by and for children has been relocated to its permanent home at Sulivan Primary School in southwest London.

The RHS No Adults Allowed Garden was designed by pupils from the school and award-winning garden designer Harry Holding and was visited by HRH King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Reimagined to suit its new setting in the school grounds, the unique garden will now be a lasting feature for pupils to explore, learn and play in, as well as take care of.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden beds in at London school

RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden beds in at London school

Nearly all elements from the original show garden have been transferred to the school, with the exception of the stream and rock pool. Instead, the subterranean den is set within a sea of wildflowers and has been reimagined by treehouse builders Root and Shoot into a sustainable climbing frame using timber from RHS Garden Wisley and rubber from waste material. Sculptural clay elements, crafted by land artist Finbar Ward and decorated by pupils, which previously adorned a wall within the show garden have now been positioned on the façade of the school itself.

As part of the relocation, the layout of the show garden has been adapted to suit the school’s setting, which is surrounded by a number of mature trees.  A path through the garden separates two distinct areas; one is low intervention with a wildflower meadow, a composting zone and dead hedges which provide habitats for wildlife, while the more cultivated side of the garden is packed with a variety of bold and colourful summer plants including kniphofias and gladioli, as well as edibles such as strawberries.

Wendy Aldridge, Headteacher at Sulivan Primary School, said: “We are so excited to welcome the RHS No Adults Allowed Garden to its new home. This garden will be a fantastic resource for our pupils, allowing them to develop hands-on gardening skills and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. It provides a unique, interactive space where children can learn about biodiversity, sustainability, and the importance of caring for our environment. The collaborative process of designing and now maintaining the garden has been invaluable, fostering a strong sense of community and pride within our school.”

Harry Holding, Award-winning Garden Designer, said: “It has been such a joy to work on
this momentous project and reimagining the show garden for its permanent home has been every bit as enjoyable as preparing it for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Seeing the pupils’ excitement as they interact with the garden, both in its original form and now in its new home, has been incredibly rewarding. In its new location, the design benefits from more space, lots of mature trees, and plenty of environments to explore. This garden will provide endless opportunities for discovery and learning, and will live on to benefit thousands of children and families from the local community for years to come. I am very much looking forward to seeing how it evolves with the students’ care and creativity.”

Alana Cama, RHS Senior Learning Manager, said: “The RHS is committed to nurturing a love of gardening in children and creating opportunities for them to engage with nature in a meaningful way. By involving pupils in the design and maintenance of the garden, they have quickly cultivated a sense of responsibility and connection to the environment. We’re excited to follow the progress of the garden and to see how it inspires a love of gardening amongst the school’s pupils for years to come. This project exemplifies our mission to make gardening accessible and enjoyable for all ages, and we are thrilled to see it find a permanent home at Sulivan Primary School.”

Sulivan Primary School is a member of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening which provides teachers with free resources and training, designed to help them give more children the opportunity to learn about caring for plants and our planet through gardening, while connecting with nature and boosting their wellbeing. The RHS is committed to fostering a love of gardening across generations and ensuring that it is an accessible activity for everyone.

For information on how to get involved with the RHS Campaign for School Gardening visit: https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk

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His Majesty The King announced as Patron of the RHS

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His Majesty The King announced as Patron of the RHS: The RHS is honoured and delighted that His Majesty The King will be the next Patron of the Royal Horticultural Society – the UK’s gardening charity dedicated to helping everyone to garden for health, happiness and the environment.

Keith Weed CBE, President of the RHS, said: “As an advocate for the planet and champion for environmental issues, we are thrilled and honoured that His Majesty The King is our Royal Patron.

His Majesty The King announced as Patron of the RHS

His Majesty The King announced as Patron of the RHS

“We look forward to furthering our work to reach more people of all ages, backgrounds and gardening abilities with the joy of growing plants and gardening to create wonderful gardens, combat the effects of climate change and build a better future for generations to come.”

Their Majesties The King and Queen will be visiting the RHS’s world-famous gardening event, The RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Monday 20 May to meet the growers, designers and horticulturists that help make both UK gardens and its nation of gardeners some of the best in the world.

During their visit to RHS Chelsea on Monday Their Majesties will visit The RHS No Adults Allowed Garden, the first garden in the history of the Show to be designed by children to highlight to children everywhere how to become gardeners to help the planet, whilst having some fun.  Along with co-designer Harry Holding, the children have included in their design a woodland, meadows and a wetland with heightened colour and oversized bog plants. There is also a natural den set within a pool of water.

Other gardens that will be visited include the Moroto no IE Garden, designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara, which is a garden where vibrant acers and a tumbling waterfall blend the beauty of the natural world with the practicalities of family life and The Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden designed by Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Matthews where the hardy tropical planting of the balcony mirrors the structural layers of the jungle.

Clare Matterson CBE, RHS Director General, said: “It means the world to the RHS and our wider horticultural family of growers, nurseries, gardeners, designers and plantspeople that Their Majesties The King and Queen, accompanied by The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are visiting RHS Chelsea again this year.

“We are all hugely looking forward to welcoming them to the world famous event to enjoy the spectacular displays that everyone has worked tirelessly to create, to meet the many wonderful charities involved with the event, and hopefully, as us gardeners love to do, sharing some top gardening tips and getting lots of inspiration along the way.”

Their Majesties visited the RHS Chelsea Flower Show just weeks after the Coronation last year.  During the 2009 Show Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II presented The King, as Prince of Wales with the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH) – the Charity’s most prestigious award – as a tribute to his deep interest and expertise in horticulture.

Having spent a lifetime championing the environment, The King has transformed his own garden at Highgrove into one of the most inspiring and innovative in the United Kingdom. It is a garden over 35 years in the making, created with passion, vision and dedication by The King and is an exemplar of his organic principles.

In 2013 The King, as Prince of Wales launched the Coronation Meadows Project to create 60 meadows, in honour of the 60th year of The late Queen’s accession to the throne. They have since thrived with over 100 fields of flowers created over the last ten years.

The Late Queen Elizabeth II was previously Patron of the RHS. The Queen became Patron of the RHS in 1952. She was Patron for 70 years, visiting RHS Chelsea Flower Show nearly every year of her Reign.

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MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show

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MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show: A garden dedicated to Doddie Weir and his charity for research into Motor Neurone Disease will be showcased at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2024 this summer as the show celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Designed by Pip Probert, My Name’5 Doddie will incorporate the colours of the player’s own private tartan, sculptures representing players in a line out, rugby goal posts and a water feature based on the tartan flower brooch used by the charity.

MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show

MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show

Weir was one of rugby’s most recognisable personalities. The Scot revealed in June 2017 he was suffering from MND and launched the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in November of that year with a vision of ridding the world of the disease. The garden’s scheme will represent the number 5 – his position in the sport.

Other gardens include The 1804 Garden by Carolyn Hardern and Jon Jarvis, the design duo behind last year’s Best Show Garden. Hardern and Jarvis continue their campaign to support construction workers, this time focusing on how a garden can be designed to mitigate against the risks of melanoma caused by excessive sun exposure.

Skills of local artisans and crafts people are celebrated in The Grant Horticulture Arts & Crafts Garden by Callum Bain MacKay. Inspired by the arts and crafts movement, billowing grasses, multi-stemmed trees and soft pastel toned perennials are interspersed with a hand-milled and hand-constructed timber pavilion, and hand-crafted wooden patio furniture and creasing tile sculptures, with materials sourced locally to emphasise sustainability.

The final Show Garden comes from Ollie Pike, with This Garden Isn’t Finished Without You, sponsored by the Methodist Church, showcasing the church’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

In the Terrace Gardens, Tom Saunders will bring a touch of the Andes to a Peak District setting with The Orchid Garden, after the designer’s travels to South America where he saw the flowers growing in their natural ecosystem and realised that native orchids can be grown domestically and set within dry stone walls.

Sophie Godber’s Big Picture Garden highlights conscious consumerism, embracing a repurposed appearance with objects and materials sourced from a 19th century farmstead to demonstrate how building a new garden doesn’t need to cost the earth, while Hilary Newhall’s The Secret Garden: For Us, By Us raises awareness of autistic adults and the challenges they encounter, particularly in employment and being a business owner.

This year will also see the return of the Long Borders. Women’s rights and the colours of the Women’s Suffrage Movement are highlighted in Susan Booth’s garden, Barbie says, ‘Women can be anything they want.’ (On the shoulders of giants), complete with glitter ball. Other themes touched upon include the Cheshire rail network, LGBTQ+ rights, the Manchester skyline and an edible family garden.

This year, the show has also introduced a new competition, RHS Career Changers of the Year, reflecting the increasing number of people who are choosing to enter horticulture and garden design. The show will also host the coveted RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, launching the careers of many a top name talent. Further details of entrants for these categories will be announced in due course.

The next time that RHS Flower Show Tatton Park will be on the site will be in 2027, as part of a roster of changes to the shows schedule announced by the RHS earlier this year.

Sarah Poll, RHS Head of Shows Development, said: “What a fantastic line-up for the 25th anniversary of the wonderful RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. From gardens addressing illnesses such as MND to sustainability, arts and crafts, orchids and even Barbie – we’re delighted to showcase the best of cutting-edge design and thought provoking gardens. We’ve also got a superb range of food and drinks, live entertainment and shopping opportunities so everyone, young or old, families or individuals can come and enjoy a great day out.”

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park takes place from 17-21 July. Tickets can be bought here: www.rhs.org.uk/tatton

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RHS disease ranking highlights top 10 gardening problems

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RHS disease ranking highlights top 10 gardening problems: The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has published its annual disease ranking, revealing the top ten problems for gardeners in 2023.

Damp conditions in spring and summer were the driving influence in the prevalence of certain diseases, with the following four new entrants to the top ten list: blossom wilt of fruit trees, pocket plum, tulip fire and slime flux. Fruit trees continued to be under threat from disease, with apples, pears, and Prunus among the top five hosts and collectively resulting in over 1,000 enquiries to the RHS advisory service, a 50% increase on the previous year.

RHS disease ranking highlights top 10 gardening problems

RHS disease ranking highlights top 10 gardening problems

The top diseases for 2023 are:

1. Honey fungus
2. Apple and pear scab
3. Rose black spot
4. Pear rust
5. = Blossom wilt of fruit trees
= Bacterial leaf spot and canker of Prunus
7. Phytophthora root rots
8. Pocket plum – Taphrina pruni
9. Tulip fire
10. Slime flux

Wet weather last spring provided perfect conditions for tulip fire – which produces brown spots and twisted, withered leaves – to take hold, seeing the disease make a return to the top 10 for the first time in several years. The damp spring conditions are also likely to blame for high cases of pocket plum, which causes elongated, hollow fruits with no stone on plums and damsons, as well as some ornamental Prunus, rendering the fruit inedible.

Slime flux, which affects a wide range of trees and shrubs, was another new entrant to the list. It is thought that the bacteria colonises trees via their roots, so the increase in cases may be a result of the wet winter in 2022/ 2023 and associated waterlogged soils. In addition, there was a rise in reports of rose black spot and pear rust, which can both likely be attributed to the warm and wet weather conditions during the summer.

Honey fungus topped the list for the 28th year running, having held the top spot since the list was first published in 1995. The fungus has a large host range of more than 140 garden plants, with the most common hosts in 2023 being privet, rose and viburnum, and results in dramatic symptoms, including death, cracked and bleeding bark and failure to flower.

To minimise plant disease this year gardeners are advised to apply mulch to improve drainage, while ground that has been laid sodden should be lightly pricked with a fork and spread with an organic mulch such as well-rotted manure, so plants grow with improved health and disease is less likely. Now is also a good time to prune out any diseased and damaged material before it can spread spores when the temperature is warmer.

Liz Beal, RHS Plant Pathologist, said: “Unusually wet weather in 2023 had a significant effect on plant health across the UK, with the prevalence of tulip fire and pocket plum demonstrating the impact of prolonged damp conditions. Following the extreme drought of the previous year, many gardeners are left wondering how to prepare for unpredictable weather patterns. Understanding the conditions of your garden is key in deciding which plants will thrive where; the right plant in the right place will always have a better chance of fighting off infection. Additionally, gardeners can help combat many of the most common diseases in our ranking by practising good hygiene, keeping tools clean and removing – and safely disposing of – diseased plant material from their gardens.”

The RHS Plant Health team uses the disease ranking to inform their research and advice. Current research at RHS Wisley’s Hilltop: Home of Gardening Science includes investigating the effective management of Phytophthora in gardens, examination of different methods for managing rose black spot and characterising the dispersal mechanisms and variation of honey fungus populations.

RHS members get free access to the charity’s Gardening Advice Service, available by phone or email. Find out more about becoming a member at: www.rhs.org.uk/join

RHS advice pages are available for everyone, for further information, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/advice

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RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine

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RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine: RHS Garden Wisley has chosen Otterbine to provide its flagship garden with sustainable irrigation.

Otterbine’s 25HP Polaris Giant Fountain was installed at RHS Garden Wisley in Woking as part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s project to create a new rainwater capture lake, providing great quality irrigation to one of the largest plant collections in the world.

RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine

RHS Wisley calls on Otterbine

In today’s climate, water can be a scarcity and harvesting rainwater supports the conservation of this vital resource. The water has to be good enough quality to use though which is where Otterbine’s 25HP Giant Polaris fountain steps in.

Matthew Pottage, curator of RHS Garden Wisley, explains: “The Giant fountain is installed in our new lake which is connected to our garden irrigation system. The lake collects winter rainwater for summer irrigation and the Otterbine aerating fountain makes the water good enough to use.”

Otterbine’s fountains have the highest oxygen transfer rates in the industry and the Polaris is the brand’s largest floating fountain. The geyser-like spray of the Polaris throws water droplets into the air where they attach to oxygen molecules that can then be absorbed into the lakewater.

Matthew, who oversaw the aesthetic of the new landscape and horticulture around the lake, explains there were additional reasons for choosing the Otterbine Giant Fountain: “The Wisley is one of the UK’s most visited and best-loved gardens, attracting around a million visitors each year and we wanted to use the opportunity to create a new atmosphere and beautiful place for visitors to enjoy and relax at Wisley.

“The lake is designed in an ornamental fashion and the fountain’s visual beauty and the fact that it muffles noise disruption from a nearby road helps bring a sense of theatre and peace to the space,” says Matthew.

Another benefit of the Otterbine Polaris Giant fountain is its unique launching system that eliminates the need for cranes during installation in most applications, despite its size. Miles Water Engineering was responsible for the build of the lake and the subsequent fitting of the fountain. “The whole thing was easy and efficient. We are very grateful for that,” Matthew comments.

Installing the new rainwater capture lake is not the only change to the grounds that RHS Wisley is undertaking. Matthew says: “We are planning a massive new landscape of grasses and perennials with Piet Oudolf, a world-renowned planting designer.”

To find out more about how the Otterbine range of aerators and fountains can help your lakes and ponds, contact Reesink on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Turf grower triumphs at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

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Turf grower triumphs at RHS Chelsea Flower Show: A North Yorkshire turf grower has won a top award at the world’s most prestigious gardening event.

Lindum Turf, which is based at Thorganby near York, won the Sustainable Garden Product of the Year category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, for its plastic-free wildflower turf.

Turf grower triumphs at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Turf grower triumphs at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The results were announced on May 22, the first day of the world leading event.

Professor Chris Harrop OBE, chair of the panel of judges at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, said this year’s shortlist included an impressive range of entrants, covering all aspects of sustainability and gardening.

However, he added that the judges were pleased to announce Lindum Wildflower Turf as this year’s winner.

Prof Harrop said: “The judges reflected on the sad reality that the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and that the nation’s biodiversity is under serious threat. Lindum’s Wildflower Turf goes some way to help address this.

“The Lindum Wildflower Turf is the first to be grown without plastic matting. Its compost is peat free and recycled but most importantly it supports a huge range of pollinators and insects with its 27 species of wild flowers, perennials and herbs, all native to the UK.

“The judges fully support Lindum’s mantra that wild flower turf should be grown plastic-free, ‘The way nature intended’, and are delighted announce them as this year’s winner.”

Lindum Turf has had invested heavily over several years to create the plastic-free wildflower turf.

Some turf grown in the UK, including other wildflower turfs, contains single-use plastic mesh which gets buried in the ground when the turf is laid.

Over time, the mesh decays into harmful microplastics that pollute the soil and can leach off into nearby watercourses. The mesh can also have an extremely damaging impact on wildlife, with hedgehogs and other small animals becoming trapped in it and suffocating or starving to death.

Lindum Turf owner, Stephen Fell, said everyone who worked at the company was absolutely thrilled by the win.

He said: “The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle of the gardening events and by far the most prestigious. Everyone wants to win at Chelsea.

“To achieve that with a product we have innovated ourselves is incredible. It adds tremendous credibility to what we’ve created, and what we’re trying to achieve – making turf sustainable and something that enhances the environment rather than potentially damaging it.

“I’m extremely proud of everyone at Lindum Turf.”

Earlier this year, Stephen launched a campaign calling on the turf industry at large to remove single use plastics from its products by 2030, to prevent the damage it causes.

The campaign has been supported by Juliet Sargeant, who won a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2016, and a Silver Gilt Medal for her popular Blue Peter Garden in 2022, as well as industry body the Turf Growers Association (TGA).

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Perennial returns to RHS Chelsea Flower Show

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Perennial returns to RHS Chelsea Flower Show: Following last year’s success with the Perennial Garden ‘With Love’ by Richard Miers winning the RHS People’s Choice Award, Perennial is returning to the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Over 50 people were directly involved in the creation of the winning garden last year, showcasing a fraction of all those working in horticulture that the charity supports and cares for, who shape, nurture, and protect our beautiful gardens and green spaces across the UK.

Perennial returns to RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Perennial returns to RHS Chelsea Flower Show

However, the Perennial presence will be a little different this year as they will be appearing in the Grand Pavilion, where you can join the team on their exhibit in the Discovery Zone for an Alan Titchmarsh-led audio visual experience, to learn about the charity and how they help those who work with plants, trees, flowers, or grass.

Beautifully created with plants, designed to demonstrate the diversity and interest that can be created in a vertical garden, the stand will include new ‘Plants for Perennial’ varieties; Dianthus Pink Celebration, Nemesia Peaches and Cream, Clematis Prince George, and Salvia Cuello in both white and pink forms. All have been produced in collaboration with four wholesale nurseries to raise funds to support for the work that Perennial does, and it will be the first time that the plants will all be appearing together.

“Perennial has taken a different approach this year.” says Director of Marketing and Fundraising, Anita Bates. “In order to reach as many people as possible so they know we are here for them; we are always adapting. We’re looking forward to telling our story, launching our new ‘Plants for Perennial’ varieties, and showcasing some of the people we are proud to support. If you’re attending Chelsea Flower Show, do drop by exhibit 004 and meet the team.”

Read more about Perennial’s Chelsea presence this year at perennial.org.uk/chelsea

As the UK’s only charity helping all those working in, and retired from horticulture, Perennial is always on hand to offer support, information and advice and there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved. Visit perennial.org.uk

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