by | 07 May 24 | Garden Design, Long Reads, News
From Shondaland, Netflix’s hit Bridgerton has become one of the most popular series on the platform. The first season alone has racked up 113.3 million views, making it the fourth most watched show on Netflix.
It follows the powerful Bridgerton family as the late Viscount’s children make their debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market as they hope to follow in their parent’s footsteps and find a match sparked by true love. Each series follows a particular member of the family as they overcome the trials and tribulations of society, not to mention the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown.
The third season – the first part of which is due for release on 16 May – follows the story of Colin Bridgerton as he returns from his worldwide travels to discover that there may just be more than friendship brewing between his lord and wallflower Penelope Featherington.
Set in a period where fashion, architecture, and style were quickly developing, Bridgerton’s set, and garden designs are extravagant and polished to say the least. So, to coincide with the release of the next season, Netflix has teamed up with garden designer Holly Johnston to unveil The Bridgerton Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024.
Garden designer, Holly Johnston
“I loved the idea that I could tell a narrative of this young woman and bring in influences from this notion of disenchantment and whimsy,” says Johnston. “The storyline is obviously really beloved, and this season in particular has two love interests that fans are very connected to, so to be able to create a garden that can bring to life this story, transport you into this time period, is just magical.”
Growing up in New Zealand on farms and orchards, Johnston had a long and winding path to her career in horticulture.
“I grew up surrounded by kiwi fruit and avocado orchards, very much in the countryside in New Zealand, but moved to New York for university as a competitive rower.”
She had always had a creative side, being a storyteller, painter, and sculptor, and 10 years later moved to the UK, setting up her garden design business just last year. Now based in London, Johnston’s ready to take on the challenge of recreating the story of Bridgeton through her Chelsea show garden.
“The partnership with Netflix has been wonderful,” says Johnston. “They had a couple of key messages that they wanted to see reflected in the garden; for instance, this idea of Penelope’s journey in season three and how her character is developing.
“But they’ve kind of handed the reins over to me knowing that I have expertise and they have allowed me to bring the vision to life based on the story that I’ve been told.”
Broken into chapters, visitors will enter the garden to discover the moon gate, with beautiful silver birches branching either side, before walking into a sunken seating area that is surrounded by a dry stone wall to echo the full circle that the character’s story follows.
The planting is designed to represent duality of character – on the shade border, represents the secrets the character holds, while the full bloom border represents her growing confidence. The strong geometric design balances with the informal loose planting
In the centre of the garden will lie a delicate three-tier reclaimed fountain whilst standing strong in the background of the seating is also an ornate hand carved water fountain, “and this is really where you will see the planting change,” says Johnston.
“The idea is that you’d walk down along the right-hand side of the garden, which is the hedge running all the way to the end and is very shaded to represent a kind of tapestry of secrets and is a metaphor for the hidden truths of the main characters as they continue to struggle with the lies that restrict them and the power they hold.”
Moss, ferns, grasses, and ivy twisting up the trees will continue this theme of secrets lying in plain sight before circling back to the left hand side of the garden where the light will fill the space and the path will evolve into a kind of sophisticated palette of blues, purples, and pinks.
“There is going to be an abundance of irises, roses, and geraniums to show the growth and blooming of the characters, representative of their journey and the way that they find their way out of the darkness and into the light,” says Johnston.
“It will be really interesting to see people’s reactions, especially as it is quite an intense and very interesting storyline that will be unveiled in season three.”
Hoping that the garden will present a sense of place for both fans of the series and for those struggling with their own identity, Johnston is eager to showcase her telling of the story through this Chelsea show garden.
by Bethany Vann | 20 Feb 24 | Grounds Maintenance, News
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed the 52 finalists of Britain in Bloom 2024, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
The finalists, selected from across the UK, will compete to be crowned winner in one of the 11 categories, and will secure an RHS gold, silver gilt, silver or bronze award.
One of the category winners will then go on to be named RHS Britain in Bloom Overall Winner for 2024.
Each group will be assessed on criteria that evaluates their commitment to improving the local environment, community engagement and horticultural excellence.
Among this year’s finalists in the Small City category is Bath in Bloom, who were the first ever winners of the competition in its inaugural year.
While first-time UK finalist Wreay in Bloom, in Cumbria will be presenting their rural area in the Village category.
The RHS says bringing people together and making gardening accessible to all are strong themes among this year’s entrants.
Kay Clark, RHS community development manager, says: “While planting trends may change and environmental practices evolve, the belief that plants and communal green spaces are important for creating healthy and happy communities endures.”
She goes on to add: “In this special anniversary year, we’ve chosen the theme of friendship, to highlight the way in which community gardening can bring people together and enrich lives.”
As part of the national campaign’s 60th anniversary, the RHS will be sharing ‘friendship flower seeds’ to all of the Britain in Bloom groups.
Over two million flowers, including sweet peas, cosmos and zinnias will be sown and planted by Bloom groups as part of the celebrations.
Judges will visit each of the finalists in summer 2024, with winners to be announced at an awards ceremony in the following autumn.
A full list of the finalists can be found at www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/britain-in-bloom/britain-in-bloom-finalists, or to get involved in community gardening, find out more at www.rhs.org.uk/community.
by | 15 Feb 24 | Garden Design, Long Reads
Feeling a strong connection to the charitable works of World Child Cancer UK, landscape designer, horticulturist, and gardener, Giulio Giorgi has teamed up with those who work tirelessly to create a world where every child with cancer has the best possible chance of survival to create a garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
“Together we had a common vision of what a garden for children who are undergoing cancer treatment should be, so I was delighted to be commissioned to create a conceptual garden plan that reflected the needs of the communities they support in low and middle-income countries, with a focus on designing a space that offered solace and joy to children with cancer through immersive nature experiences,” says Giorgi.
After presenting the garden proposal to Project Giving Back, Giorgi was thrilled that they been granted with sponsorship and could take the design to Chelsea as a Sanctuary Garden.
Giorgi created a space that provides an immersive garden experience combined with sustainable design features. “Not only does it interpret their charity efforts of increasing child cancer survival rates in the 10 low to middle-income countries they work in but it’s also an opportunity to showcase how a garden can support the emotional wellbeing of children undergoing cancer treatment.”
Drawn to the fact all Project Giving Back funded gardens are permanently relocated for long-term usage straight after the show, Giorgi took the chance to experiment with testing different ideas of how a garden could be designed and built in a simpler, more sustainable way with a focus on minimal waste, breakage and manpower.
The project has now evolved into a bespoke modular system without the need for mortar, meaning that it can be easily broken down after the show, be transported to another location and rebuilt with minimal breakage and waste.
Located close to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, CLIC House was the first UK-based purpose-built home to open as one of the Young Lives vs Cancer charity ‘Homes from Homes’ that are offered to families so they can stay together whilst their child is undergoing cancer treatment and will become home to this Chelsea show garden.
The core theme of the World Child Cancer’s Nurturing Garden will be a sensory haven to bring joy, hope and escapism through nature for children undergoing cancer treatment, no matter where they live in the world.
The different-sized circular raised beds inspired by keyhole gardens also reflect some of the communities supported by World Child Cancer UK which have limited access to water. Keyhole gardens are originally seen in sub-Saharan Africa and are renowned for successfully growing vegetables and crops on their dry, exposed and compacted soils.
These raised beds will be made from perforated clay blocks that Giorgi has designed himself to offer different sensory experiences through a range of soft-touch plants, fragrant herbs, and vibrant mosses, whilst the planting scheme in the lower raised beds cultivates edible plants for children to explore.
“I hope the design and plant choices in the ‘World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden’ will evoke discussion, learning and good practice solutions that can be applied to landscapes that are challenged with drought, soil erosion and nutrient depletion,” says Giorgi.
Giorgi hopes that the garden will show visitors at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show how good practices such as the sustainable “ollas’ water system, as well as the importance of good practice soil preparation in the raised bed design will help with drainage and aeration.
During the design process Giorgi collaborated closely with World Child Cancer UK to understand the needs and vision of their global partners and communities in the 10 countries where they support children with cancer. The conversations gave an insight into the charity’s holistic care approach they take alongside the clinical treatment they offer. Focusing on nurturing, play, connection and rest for each child, this garden is designed around those core care approaches.
“We hope each visitor to the garden will find emotional upliftment in its crafted features and planting scheme. I designed it to nurture a connection between children and the natural world, inspiring them to develop a lifelong, meaningful relationship with nature.
“World Child Cancer UK recognise the emotional wellbeing and joy that children will get from interacting with this sensory outdoor environment with the hope it will encourage children to carry this connection into their adult lives,” says Giorgi.
Making his Chelsea debut this year, Giorgi says it is an honour to be learning the process as an international designer.
“Chelsea is renowned for being a show that inspires gardeners to discover new ideas in garden design and I hope the ‘World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden’ will allow others to engage in conversations about simpler, sustainable garden practices, innovatively crafted features within schemes, the use of local materials and sensory planting schemes that will uplift and bring joy to those that will experience it,” says Giorgi.
by Bethany Vann | 07 Feb 24 | Garden Design, News
The Winter Garden at RHS Rosemoor in Devon, will be undergoing a redesign that is set to reveal some of the site’s existing features.
The new design by landscape designer Jo Thompson will merge the Winter Garden, which was established in 1996, with the three surrounding Model Gardens, doubling it in size whilst creating a new ‘unified’ landscape.
Low-level planting will open up vistas across the garden, while island beds of herbaceous planting and grasses will bring in seasonal colour.
Rosemoor Winter garden from above new design will connect with the wider landscape.
Image credit RHS / Jason Ingram
The colours have been chosen for their seasonality, with the peak interest reserved for winter. Plants will be selected that help create connectivity between the existing and new half of the garden.
Thompson’s design includes a rare Fraxinus profunda (pumpkin ash), a Catalpa, a stand of birch and Japanese maples – creating a sense of maturity to the space.
Speaking on the new design, Thompson says: “I wanted to turn this vast space into a welcoming area dedicated to winter structure and colour. I am opening it up with new routes and new views so the visitors feel tempted to explore the whole garden and make it a central feature of RHS Rosemoor.”
The new design will create a garden forming two halves, the existing Winter Garden will not be undergoing many changes aside from the improvement of its plant content. This includes the removal or pruning of plants which have outgrown the landscape.
The three Model Gardens at the top of the site will form the new half- these have been designed with accessibility and views in mind, helping to link all the surrounding buildings with the garden landscape.
On the Formal gardens central axis reside two mature oak trees at each end of the Long borders- the creation of a large meadow and removal of several beds will create a visual link down the length of the garden.
The planting will take place between autumn 2024 and spring 2025.
For more information on the garden visit the RHS here.
by Bethany Vann | 29 Jan 24 | Garden Design, News
Designers of the Balcony and Container Gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be marking their collective debut by showcasing mitigating and resilient planting in response to the extreme weather conditions impacting the UK in recent times.
mgr Changing Tides Garden
Designed by Lucy Mitchell, this Container Garden is set to showcase a storm resilient planting scheme, with species that have adapted to the harsh conditions found along the strandline of the UK’s shingle beaches.
La Mia Venezia
Featuring Mediterranean plants able to withstand rising temperatures, this Italian inspired Balcony Garden designed by Michela Trinca is set to highlight plants such as citrus and bougainvillea that can now be grown in a UK climate as a direct result of global warming.
Tomie’s Cuisine the Nobonsai
Designed by Tsuyako Asada, this Balcony Garden incorporates a “No-waste gardening” method- which reuses garden waste such as pruned twigs, stems and weeds to retain moisture on the soil’s surface.
The Water Saving Garden sponsored by Affinity Water
With a focus on water conservation, this Container Garden designed by Sam Proctor showcases methods to capture, store and reuse water in an affordable and easy way that reduces maintenance.
Other gardens in the Balcony and Container category focus on the sanctuary small outside spaces can provide.
Elisabeth Wright-McCalla will demonstrate how an unused piece of concrete could be transformed into a vibrant and restorative place, whilst Tom Bannister’s The Ecotherapy Garden promotes the benefits of immersing oneself in nature whilst also embracing the current cold plunge therapy trend with a plunge pool enveloped in lush planting as the centrepiece of the garden.
Sonja Kalkschmidt’s Sanctum offers an oasis amidst the chaos of contemporary corporate life and The Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden by husband and wife duo Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews creates a biodiverse haven for people and nature featuring a tranquil pond, bird nest, bat box and vibrant flora.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show will take place 21 – 25 May 2024.
by Bethany Vann | 26 Jan 24 | Garden Design, Nature & Biodiversity, News
Marking 60 years of Britain in Bloom, the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) is celebrating by sharing ‘friendship flower seeds’ to highlight the friendships made through caring for plants and a shared love of gardening.
Over two million flowers, including sweet peas, cosmos and nigella will be sown, planted and grown by the three thousand community gardening groups that make up RHS Britain in Bloom and its grassroots version It’s Your Neighbourhood.
The flowers will be displayed in public green spaces and then gifted to people and communities across the UK.
The RHS will also be collecting and sharing stories of friendships formed through gardening to encourage more people to get stuck into community gardening.
RHS community development manager, Kay Clark says: “We’re providing the seeds as a ‘thank you’ to all our existing groups and the hundreds of thousands of passionate volunteers who work with plants year-round to strengthen their communities and improve the local environment.
“We are encouraging people to grow some of these flowers for wildlife, and share some as bouquets with friends and other people who deserve them in their communities.”
To find out more on how to get involved, visit www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved.
Or to share your stories visit www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/britain-in-bloom or tag #RHSBloom60 on social media.
by Bethany Vann | 15 Jan 24 | Domestic Landscaping, Garden Design, News
Whether you are unsure where to begin or already working in the industry, the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) is inviting people to join in Horticulture Careers Discovery Week.
Taking place from 22 – 25 January, Horticulture Careers Discovery Week aims to “help people of all ages and backgrounds step into a world of possibilities and explore and understand a wide array of roles available across the horticultural sector,” says the RHS.
Throughout the week the Society will be hosting a number of speakers, who will be sharing their career journeys, day-to-day activities in their roles, the challenges and opportunities within horticulture, and more.
The headline speakers are, garden designer, Emma Tipping (a winner of Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30: The Next Generation awards 2023), social and therapeutic horticulture practitioner, Ed Bowring, and freelance writer, podcaster and gardener, Lucy Chamberlain.
The event is free to attend, with registration for individual talks open now.
by Bethany Vann | 10 Jan 24 | Garden Design, Long Reads |
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has compiled a list of plants to correspond with Pantone Colour Institute’s Colour of the Year 2024.
‘Peach Fuzz’ was chosen by Pantone for its Colour of the Year, which the Institute believes “resonates with compassion” and “offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.”
The colour categorised by Pantone as 13-1023 was found to be a match for colour 26D in the RHS Colour Chart – the tool for documenting plant colour worldwide.
Curators of the RHS Herbarium have matched Pantone Peach Fuzz to a list of plants which can be grown in a range of spaces to assist gardeners planning to incorporate the signature colour.
10. Verbascum ‘Tropical Sun’
A yellow flushed perennial capable of reaching up to 1.5m, flushed with peach-orange tones and a red eye.
9. Rosa JOIE DE VIVRE (‘Korflociol’)
Flowering repeatedly through the summer and autumn months, reaching no higher than 60cm in height. This peachy pink and cream small shrub needs a moist but well-drained position in full sun.
8. Rhododendron ‘Hanger Flame’
A lightly scented variant of the shrub species, with orange flowers that feature a more golden tint, flowering in May and June.
7. Rebutia ‘Apricot Ice’
Great as a houseplant for beginners, this hybrid rebutia cactus is easy to grow and has soft barrel-shaped stems and star-shaped orange blooms which fade to apricot pink.
6. Potentilla fruticosa ‘Daydawn’
A spreading, bushy shrub that can grow to 80cm tall, with pale yellow flowered tinged yellow and pink, in bloom from early summer to early autumn.
5 . Narcissus ‘Waldorf Astoria’
Flowering in mid spring with three rows of broad, white petals. A double daffodil with pinky-orange corona segments. Prefers full sun or partial shade in a moist but well-drained position.
4. Lilium rosthornii
A Chinese lilly with golden-range blooms, easily and readily grown in light or part-shade in a humus-rich soil.
3. Kniphofia ‘Toffee Nosed’
These hardy perennials have slender leaves and ivory flowers and are ideal for sunny banks and borders.
2. Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’
A tuberous-rooted perennial with dark green foliage with peachy petals flowering up to 20cm across, from mid-summer to the first frost.
1. Chrysanthemum ‘Salmon Enbee Wedding’
This half-hardy perennial grows to 1m in height, with sprays of single flowers whose rays are yellowish-pink tinged with light coral pink.
by Bethany Vann | 08 Jan 24 | Garden Design, News
The Stroke Association is set to present its first ever show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May this year.
Sponsored by Project Giving Back, the garden is designed to support and facilitate the best possible recovery for stroke survivors.
Designed by Miria Harris, the garden is inspired by the landscape designer’s own experience of stroke and the stories of other survivors.
Harris says; “They [the stories] have shaped the garden’s themes and have directly influenced the material choices I have made in the design.”
The garden will be a 10 x 22m Main Avenue show garden, and Harris’s first time designing at RHS Chelsea.
Miria Harris Portrait RHS
Designed to be a peaceful and sensory space for recovery. Both the loose muted rainbow colour block planting and wildlife pond and stream will provide soft way-finding for those with additional visual or mobility needs.
At the garden’s centre will be a space for relaxation and reflection, with seating created by furniture designer Olivia Gonsalves.
Accessible pathways will be interconnected throughout the landscape, representing the difficult road to recovery.
Harris survived a stroke in 2019 which left her with aphasia, affecting her ability to speak and form works properly.
She says; “I didn’t know what was happening and thought I was losing my mind. My voice came back to me relatively quickly, but the stroke led to a discovery that I had a hole in my heart and in 2020 I had heart surgery to close the hole.
“It is definitely not as simple as just getting better. There are many bumps in the road and recovery is not linear. After the disconnecting experience of stroke, the reconnection with people I love and with nature has been hugely important.”
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show will run from 21 – 25 May 2024.
by Bethany Vann | 08 Jan 24 | Garden Design, Long Reads, News
It was only last June when we first sat down with garden designer Zoe Claymore to discuss her RHS Hampton Court Show Garden, The Wildlife Trusts’ Renters Retreat.
A project that would go on to earn the rising designer a hat-trick of awards, including the coveted People’s Choice Award, along with “many new opportunities”, which included the launch of her own renter-friendly steel raised beds, in partnership with Lux Unique.
She continues to empower renters to get into gardening through her new role as an ambassador for the National Allotment Society (NAS).
Renters Retreat, RHS Hampton Court. © the Wildlife Trusts
Working with them to “promote rental garden design through allotments,” using her own London based plot as what she calls the “guinea pig”, in a series titled How to Plan Your Plot.
“It provides people with bitesized steps of how to plan their growing space, with principles people can use regardless of size or ownership status.
“A third of people rent their homes – why should they be limited?”
With over eight million households in England alone in rented accommodation, the cost-of-living crisis, and the decline in biodiversity, Claymore hopes the series will “help people make good choices for themselves and the planet by reducing long term consumption and saving themselves time and money.”
“We are all renters really as the land is here before we are born…We need to start thinking not only that we can design rented spaces but actually that in fact all spaces are themselves rented.”
With weekly 90 second, step wise videos on different topics for how to plan your space, Claymore will be documenting the evolution of her plot in real time, available to watch on the designers Instagram and YouTube pages.
Garden designer, Zoe Claymore
Starting with Sizing Up Your Site, published back in December- with more to follow over the coming months as the designer continues to vlog her renovation experience in partnership with the National Allotment Society.
She comments that her role as ambassador is “new to the Society which we [Claymore and the NAS] will be shaping over the coming months.
“Our goal is to help raise the profile of the work the Society does, helping to promote and preserve allotments- particularly on social media.”
It is no secret the industry is facing a skill shortage, Claymore hopes the series will “attract a younger demographic of gardeners to the society,” and in turn a career in horticulture.
The gold-medal winner accredits her new role as ambassador to her RHS Hampton Court Show Garden, saying it “wouldn’t have happened without it.”
Claymore’s RHS accreditation doesn’t end there though- the RHS named her one of their horticultural heroes of 2023, an accolade the designer was “delighted but rather stunned by.”
And while she tells us not to expect her at this year’s RHS show line-up, we’re told to “watch this space” for 2025.
“If there is a cause I care about then I’ll give it my all.”
by Bethany Vann | 21 Dec 23 | Long Reads, Nature & Biodiversity, News
As temperatures drop and food becomes scarce, gardens across the UK can provide crucial refuge for wildlife, significantly impacting the survival of various species by offering food, water and shelter.
The RHS has released a list of ways for you to support wildlife this winter, while helping boost biodiversity in your own backyard.
For birds the RHS advices the following:
Put out high calorie food
Such as fat blocks, suet blocks or even grated cheese and bacon rinds. The RHS advises to be cautious of using plastic nets as these can catch on a bird’s tongue causing them to become stuck.
For those foodies out there, you can also make your own fat blocks by melting down suet into moulds. Different recipes will entice a range of birds.
Put out grain mix and seeds
While fat is important, so is a balanced diet- even for birds.
Wire mesh feeders can be used for peanuts and seed feeders for other types of seeds, while specially designed feeders would be needed for smaller seeds.
Scatter fruit on the ground
Thrushes and blackbirds favour fruit, so for a chance to see these little birdies in your garden scatter over-ripe apples, raisins and sin-bird mixes on the ground for them.
Put food out regularly
Similar to visiting your favourite restaurant only to find it closed- the RHS advises to be consistent in your offerings to avoid expending a bird’s energy.
Clean out bird boxes
To make a clean and fresh space for new nests come spring.
For other wildlife the RHS advices the following:
Plant winter-flowering species
Incorporating winter-flowering into your planting scheme can attract pollinators such as bumblebees. Be sure to select single flower varieties rather than double, to ensure nectar and pollen is more readily available.
Put out bug hotels
Established bug hotels in a sheltered position can really help out overwintering ladybirds and lacewings.
Melt a hole into iced over ponds
If you have a pond in your garden, the RHS suggests melting a hole into it to allow wildlife to drink, as well as enter and exit the water. None hitting and cracking methods are preferred to avoid disturbing the wildlife below.
Put water out
Provide a shallow dish or container of water at ground level to encourage wildlife to drink- be sure to check it regularly in icy conditions.
Be mindful when emptying compost
Species such as frogs, toads and other animals often use compost heaps to keep warm in the colder months, always be careful when emptying it.
“Winter can be a tough time for many species, meaning they need all the extra support they can get in our gardens,” says Helen Bostock, RHS senior wildlife specialist.
“Providing food and a safe haven when resources are otherwise scarce is a vital lifeline, and we can all do our bit to help.”
by Bethany Vann | 18 Dec 23 | Nature & Biodiversity, News
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is inviting families to uncover the potential of their windowsills this February half term, with a week of activities at each of the five RHS Gardens.
The ‘World on Your Windowsill’ scheme includes activities from designing your own pot, to interactive storytelling walks with garden detectives, or growing your own Marimo pet.
Giving families the opportunity to engage with nature over the week break and discover the potential of indoor planting.
Dates, times and activities vary across the five RHS Gardens- more information can be found here.
by Bethany Vann | 12 Dec 23 | Garden Design, News
The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) will be welcoming nine new gardens into its Partner Garden Scheme next year.
The scheme, which launched two decades ago, allows RHS members to visit a range of gardens for free at selected times of the year.
Now with over 220 partner gardens covering the British Isles, 25 overseas including in Barbados, France, Japan and South Africa, the nine new gardens are as follows:
Sandringham Estate Gardens, a 60-acre garden, complete with streams, lakes and ornamental trees and shrubs, regularly visited by members of the Royal Family.
Natural Surroundings, in Norfolk is eight-acres of gardens and meadows, which the RHS says a horticultural, ‘wildlife gardener’s paradise’, with rooms dedicated to moths, butterflies and bugs, and a medicinal garden repurposed from an unused field.
Gilbert White’s Garden, home of the 18th century author and naturalist, Gilbert White, is 12-hectares of gardens with varying uses, such as a herb garden, a wildflower meadow and a kitchen garden.
Also joining the scheme will be, Riverhill in Kent, a family-run historic garden, the American Museum and Gardens in Bath, Grade II listed gardens including a replica of George Washington’s garden.
Athelhampton House and Gardens in Dorset, Mothecombe Gardens in Devon, and Andalusia Historic House and Garden situated at the Delaware River in America.
Gardens designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd are also among the new Partner Gardens.
by Bethany Vann | 24 Nov 23 | Garden Design, News
Applications for the RHS Hampton Court Pocket Planting category are now open to those who are currently studying, or have graduated from a horticultural-based course within the last five years.
All successful applicants will be awarded a grant from the RHS, while an additional nine will receive mentorship from Tom Massey, one of the designers of WaterAid’s RHS Chelsea 2024 Garden,
Applications close 19 January 2024, with RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival set to take place 2 – 7 July 2024.
by | 24 Nov 23 | Garden Design, News
“Enjoy an unmissable after-dark spectacle of lights at RHS Garden Wisley this festive season,” says the team at RHS Wisley
The RHS opens it’s doors to the 2023 Glow event at RHS Wisley today (Friday 24 November) through to Tuesday 2 January next year.
“Kick off the festive season in style”, following the guided pathways across the Wisley estate, surrounded by cleverly designed lighting displays, bringing the woodland to life.
Including illuminated wicker alliums, globes, and arches. Discover the glasshouse, lake, rock gardens, and laboratory, each taking a different spin on their glowing displays and complete with a grand finale of fire and water.
“A relaxing escape through nature, perfectly lit, and enchantingly beautiful,” says Ashleigh Brown, Pro Landscaper, who attended the event.
