Caption: No Adults Allowed Garden
Caption: The Flood Resilient Garden
Caption: Saatchi Garden
Caption: All about Hedges Garden
What does a fantastical garden designed by children for children, an outdoor sanctuary packed with ideas to improve flood resilience, a sculptural display for the prestigious Saatchi Gallery, and a showcase for the RHS science team all have in common? They are all RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibits being supported this month by Dalefoot Composts.
All four will be getting a peat-free finishing flourish with our composts at the world’s most famous flower show. Our Dalefoot Composts team will also be on hand at the event (21-25 May) to meet customers new and old, and answer your gardening queries. Our stand (EAE545) will be in its usual position at the end of the main shopping avenue.
Here’s a sneak preview of the exhibits we are supporting:
RHS No Adults Allowed Garden: Harry Holding – a joyful journey through a playful landscape where children can explore the magic of lush woodland, bountiful meadows and a wetland with lots of colour and oversized plants. And a den set within a pool of water, plus a slide. Designed by children, with assistance from award-winning designer Harry Holding, this immersive feature garden highlights the importance of access to nature for kids.
Flood Re: The Flood Resilient Garden: Naomi Slade and Dr Ed Barsley – want ideas on how to help reduce flood risk and to recover quickly after periods of heavy rainfall? This sanctuary gardens will be awash with tips on how to do just that. Dense planting will slow the flow, while water is also captured and stored for later use. After heavy rain, the elevated deck and mound – linked by a bridge over a central swale – provide both habitable places for people, and well-drained soil for the plants that need it.
The swale will form a stream, channelling rainwater into a feature pond where it can gradually soak away, while large tanks double as ornamental ponds which store water for later use, and can be discharged ahead of further rain, using smart-technology.
All About Hedges RHS Science display: Dave Green - an educational display highlighting the results of RHS research into the benefits of using mixed hedge plants in gardens, instead of single species hedges. The exhibit will include a variety of hedges as well as planting with additional environmental benefits, plus planting that is appropriate for use near to hedges. Feature trees will show how, if left unpruned, hedges develop into mature trees, and a central engagement area will include microscopes and other scientific equipment to allow visitors to see hedge leaves at a very detailed level.
The Saatchi Gallery garden, Abeba Esse: Dave Green - showcasing work by the British-Caribbean artist Zak Ové, this will depict a Black Diasporic journey from Africa, to the Caribbean and then to the UK. The journey links to the routes taken to bring many slaves to the UK in the past and hints at the wealth created by this trade. The displays will feature a broad range of planting to capture the spirit of the different geographical zones, and aims to encourage important conversations about the themes central to Ové’s work – the African Diaspora, contemporary multiculturalism, globalisation, and the blend of politics, tradition, race, and history that informs our identities.
Balcony and Container Gardens: Our compost will also be used throughout several of the Balcony and Container Gardens created under the mentorship of Paul Hervey-Brookes.