The Cheshire Garden was delighted to once again have the opportunity to visit the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park this summer. As ever there was a fabulous array of inspirational show gardens to enjoy alongside displays from specialist nurseries and suppliers. It was also great to see a strong theme of sustainability running throughout the show with excellent ideas on how gardens can make a positive contribution to benefitting wildlife and the environment.
A new feature at this year’s show was the Greener Front Gardens category which challenged designers to create spaces which are both practical and attractive. We particularly liked the ‘Cotton Traders Greener Future Garden’ which managed to accommodate a seating area and space for a car alongside wildlife friendly planting. It was a clever use of limited space and demonstrated how features, such as permeable surfaces and mechanisms for capturing and diverting rainwater, can mitigate the increasing risk of flooding.
Life after Covid was also a strong theme. The move towards more remote working was reflected in a number of designs which incorporated garden offices. A great example of this was the ‘Why Commute?’ garden which included a work space with green roof and other structural features including a pergola and arches. These were effectively used to break up the space, add height and create interest.
The way that gardens can promote both physical and mental wellbeing was another element in many of the show gardens. We particularly liked the ‘Covid Recovery Garden’ in the Young Designers category. This was conceived to be an accessible and restorative space with calm and harmonious planting. An arbour and trees again provided good structure as well as creating more secluded areas.
It is good to see that more of the show gardens are now created with a life beyond the show itself. Where this is not the case the RHS increasingly encourages the re-use of elements in future show gardens. This all helps to make these large events more sustainable in themselves as well as promoting a positive environmental message to visitors.
