RHS Chelsea Repurposed

To build a sustainable and adaptive future, we need to look at ways to reuse and recycle the materials we already have. To this end, nearly everything in this RHS Feature Garden has lived at least one life already – much of it at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

By repurposing key elements from Show Gardens dating back as far as 2010, the garden celebrates creative recycling. A series of corten steel columns, hauled from storage at Crocus from Andy Sturgeon’s 2010 The Daily Telegraph Garden, tower over a path of reclaimed paving, while Tom Massey’s Lemon Tree Trust Islamic-inspired fountain and concrete benches provide a focal point and places to rest. Steel fins from Andy Sturgeon’s 2016 The Daily Telegraph Garden host information boards showing best sustainable practices and examples of creatively reusing materials.  

The recycling theme continues with drought-tolerant species, including grasses and local wildflowers, all planted in crushed concrete and sand salvaged from demolished buildings. After the Show, every element of the garden will go on to enjoy yet another new life that continues to benefit both people and wildlife.