The RHS No Adults Allowed Garden puts kids in the driving seat, creating a garden of fun and exploration
An RHS Chelsea first
For the first time in the history of the world-famous show, a garden will feature at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024, which is made by children.
Pupils from Sulivan Primary School in London have worked alongside designer Harry Holding to create the brief and design for the garden.
The RHS No Adults Allowed Garden is a joyful journey through a fantastical landscape where children can explore the magic of lush woodland, bountiful meadows and a wetland with heightened colour and fun oversized bog plants.
Hear from the children
Their adventure culminates at the final destination – a natural den, set within a pool. Sliding down into the water, this sunken, children-only space is a sanctuary where they can play, learn, and explore the natural world around them.
“Children gardening and growing plants is both joyous and good for learning, development and health and wellbeing.”
RHS Director General, Clare Matterson
Highlighting the importance of access to nature for children, the garden is an immersive experience where they can scramble over boulders, splash around in the natural stream, and dive into jubilant planting.
RHS Director General, Clare Matterson CBE, says; “Children gardening and growing plants is both joyous and good for learning, development, and health and wellbeing. Like our
Children’s RHS Chelsea Picnic, which will continue in 2024, I hope this garden will be a special experience for all the children involved, which ignites an interest in gardening that will be with them throughout their life.”
Rules for adults only
The garden initially had only one rule for adults: they were simply not allowed on the garden. However, after some serious negotiating RHS Director General Clare Matterson has persuaded the children to agree that adults can enter, if they pledge to do one of three things:
1. Plant a tree.
2. Donate to RHS Campaign for School Gardening to help give other kids access to nature.
3. Find a flower that starts with the first letter of their name.
To get access to the garden at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, adults will have to share what they’ve pledged to be given one of the children’s designed access stickers. Only when an adult has this, can they enter this very special garden.
The children from Sulivan School say: “Originally, we only wanted children in the garden, so that we could keep it to ourselves and run around. But the class also wanted the world to see our hard work and how great a children’s garden could be. We thought we could use this opportunity as a chance to help the planet, convince other children to become gardeners and to have some fun. So we have agreed to allow adults in to the garden as long as they complete one of our pledges.”
How to pledge
“I’ve done some tough negotiating in my time and this was no walk in the park, but the children and the RHS are all delighted with the results.” says Clare Matterson. “The Sulivan School pupils came up with the three activities, which they’d like adults to pledge to do one of, and we’ll be asking visitors what they did, or plan to do, before they enter the garden at the show. We know gardeners are a good bunch, so we trust that people will do what they pledge and it’s all in the name of having some fun too.”
“The children, aged between 9 and 10, chose planting a tree as they know how important tress are for the future of this planet and how valuable they are for wildlife. They came up with the idea to donate to
RHS Campaign for School Gardening as they believe that all children in school should have access to gardening and nature knowing first-hand the positive impact it has on their learning and development in school. They also believe strongly that learning should be fun, hence the final activity option – to find a flower that begins with your name.”
Donate to the Campaign for School Gardening
How to plant a tree
Find a flower that starts with the first letter of your name
Kids in charge
Planning, design and creative sessions have been taking place all year with the RHS, designer Harry Holding and the young designers in the lead up to the show. They’ve planted up herbs, learnt about balcony gardening and design, alongside creating trophies and arts and crafts.
Garden designer Harry Holding says: “I have loved working with the children at Sulivan Primary School to design this garden. They have been so creative and have come up with some brilliant – if somewhat challenging in some cases – ideas.
“With this garden, art, sculpture, and textural clay celebrate the child-like creativity innate in all of us, while sensory planting and natural materials create a nourishing space. Above all, it’s a celebration of the natural world and the joyous wonder children experience within beautiful landscapes.
“The children really have been, and will continue to be, involved in every step of the design and creation of the garden and the RHS, myself and the children are really excited about the rest of the journey to the Show and especially beyond when the garden will live on.”
After the Show, the garden will be relocated to Sulivan Primary School in Fulham, for future generations to enjoy for many years to come. Other schools in the area will also be welcome to visit and use the garden.
Visitors will also be able to donate to support RHS Campaign for School Gardening if they wish to, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
More from the RHS
“The children really have been, and will continue to be, involved in every step of the design and creation of the garden and the RHS, myself and the children are really excited about the rest of the journey to the Show and especially beyond when the garden will live on.”
After the Show, the garden will be relocated to Sulivan Primary School in Fulham, for future generations to enjoy for many years to come. Other schools in the area will also be welcome to visit and use the garden.
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