The Shifting Garden by the Chelsea Gardener

The garden is designed to maximise the limited space typical of urban gardens, whilst reflecting how the climate is shifting and carrying us towards a UK dealing with extreme weather patterns.

An emphasis on sustainability is throughout the garden which uses natural, bio-composite and recycled materials. At the entrance of the garden, is a sentinel Albizia julibrissin, with its filigree canopy providing a sense of enclosed sanctuary.

Along the borders, recycled plastic rod screens introduce another key concept of the garden – the representation of water without the use of water. Against the dark backdrop are staggered containers with inbuilt seating, constructed from hypertufa, with its natural-stone appearance. A mirror reflects the planting in the bed in front, breaking-up the contours of the garden.

The heat wave of 2022 presented huge issues in the maintenance of British gardens. The purpose of The Shifting Garden by the Chelsea Gardener is to demonstrate a climate change resistant planting scheme, and how this can be incorporated into an attractive, functional urban garden.