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- Small space garden categories return to RHS Chelsea Flower Show for second year
- The Balcony and Container Gardens and Houseplant Studios feature first time RHS Chelsea designers and exhibitors
- The gardens provide inspiration for transforming compact outdoor areas into positive green spaces for health, wellbeing and the environment whilst the Houseplant Studios focus on doing the same for indoor spaces
Small space gardening makes a comeback at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, sponsored by The Newt in Somerset, as the popular Balcony and Container Gardens return as judged garden categories.
Proving that any space, no matter how small, can be turned into a gardening haven, the Balcony and Container Gardens are joined again by the Houseplant Studios, supported by Close Brothers Asset Management, to offer plenty of inspiration for making the most of limited space and resources.
Living in a high-rise apartment in Manchester, Jason Williams, also known as the Cloud Gardener UK, decided to transform his own balcony into an urban oasis during lockdown. Using his own self-taught experiments with planting, the ‘Cirrus Garden’ includes a colourful mix of wildflowers and edibles to create a sanctuary for wildlife in the centre of a city.
Balconies can provide an important habitat for birds and ‘JAY DAY’, designed by Alison Orellana Malouf and Su-Yeon Choi, integrates typical bird seed plants to encourage birds to visit. Featuring a lush planted floor of green moss for nut caching to attract the Eurasian Jay, the duo hope to bring an ecological connection for urban residents to see nature at their windows.
With planting themes formed of easy to grow edibles, William Murray’s ‘The Potting Balcony Garden Sponsored by Viking’ and Ann Treneman’s ‘Wild Kitchen Garden’ both demonstrate how even with limited outdoor options, homeowners can still grow their own fresh produce outside their door. A sense of travel and escapism comes from Jane Porter and design duo, Tanya K Wilson and Johanna Norlin’s container gardens, drawing inspiration from Scottish and Mediterranean landscapes.
As the trend for growing and caring for houseplants continues, the Houseplant Studios showcase the forward thinking style ideas and practical tips for bringing the splendour of growing to interior spaces. Displayed in individual studios provided by Malvern Garden Buildings, each of the six selected houseplant specialists will highlight a variety of species with designs ranging from an aerial indoor garden to a walk-in terrarium.
Helena Pettit, RHS Director of Gardens and Shows said: “The Balcony and Container Gardens and Houseplant Studios at RHS Chelsea show that any space, whether inside or out, can be turned into a garden sanctuary for the benefit of our health and the environment. The range of creative ideas is outstanding and they dispel the myth that gardening is only for those with large outdoor areas or big budgets and provide ample inspiration for creating a little piece of greenery in whatever space you have.”
Tickets to RHS Chelsea Flower Show are currently available, including Chelsea Late: www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea
