RHS Allotments

Nature’s Haven

To celebrate the nation’s love of the humble cuppa, this ‘tea garden’ is filled with plants that heal – a theme reflected in the therapeutic community group they run in Berkshire. Every species grown here has a purpose, either as an edible tea crop or as sustenance for bees and other insects. An arch of Trachelospermum jasminoides AGM (star jasmine) is flanked by two raised beds, created to be accessible to those with mobility issues, and filled with plants suitable for a range of teas and tinctures. Passionflower, which helps to reduce insomnia, climbs over nettles, known for their anti-inflammatory properties; while eucalyptus is a known remedy for coughs and colds.

Bagshot Infant School

Proving the statement that children are tomorrow’s gardeners are the 60 Year 2 pupils from Bagshot Infant School, Surrey, who have designed and created this space as a reflection of their school garden. Fully accessible, the plot here is split into quadrants and features a strawberry bed, a grow-to-cook bed with yellow courgettes, a fruit and herb bed featuring Salvia microphylla ‘Cerro Potosí’ AGM (baby sage), and finally a seed bed. All plants on display here were either sown or produced from cuttings by the children themselves, while an ‘active area’ includes stations for making recycled newspaper plant pots, sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings. 

Cultivate London 

It engages with residents to green up spaces and improve understanding of environmental and community needs. Split into four main zones, the plot here represents the circular society, an important part of Cultivate London’s workshop syllabus. Found and recycled materials and objects nestle among pollinator friendly plants such as Amaranthus caudatus (love-liesbleeding), Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist) and Cyclanthera pedata (stuffing gourd) – which reflect the different growing environments in areas where the volunteers live. There’s also an urban orchard, while a central structural element represents residential blocks in and around Cultivate London’s community gardens.

The Pig Hotel 

With a passionate commitment to home-grown produce, the garden and kitchen teams at the boutique hotel group work hand-in-hand to serve visitors the finest produce from the walled Kitchen Garden, greenhouses and polytunnels that are unique to each PIG location. Anything they can’t grow on-site is provided by farmers and small producers within a 25-mile radius of each location to ensure they stick to their dedicated 25 mile menu. Inspired by these walled kitchen gardens, their allotment space here features raised beds filled with seasonal veg and salads including climbing French beans, sweetcorn and creeping savoury, as well as a colourful array of edible flowers that add colour, flavour and texture to any dish.