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The sun shone on another Chelsea Flower Show this year, as people flocked from around the world to glean inspiration from a bevvy of beautiful show gardens. We round up some of the key trends spotted at the show and how you can recreate them in your own space.
Restore & Rewild
The theme of rewilding outdoor spaces continued with gusto this year – ideal if you love a low-maintenance garden. Many of the show gardens sported a deliberately unkempt appearance, with more natural, wild planting celebrated. Ultimately, if you want this look, you need to do very little.
Forget manicured lawns and orderly flower beds, this style of garden is all about sitting back and letting nature take its course. Think ‘no-mow May’ and pollinator super highways; there are lots of benefits to just letting your grass grow and whatever is in it flower. Scatter meadow flower seeds for a beautiful display that birds and insects will love and incorporate native plants and trees into your scheme. Consider seeding your grass with clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil, which are great for bees, grow low to the ground and produce pretty flowers. They can withstand the odd trim too, if you are itching to get out there with a lawnmower.
Match your low-maintenance garden with some low-maintenance furniture from LifestyleGaren. Designed to stand up to anything the UK weather can throw at it, our furniture stays looking pristine for years to come, with minimal effort from you.
Drought-tolerant planting
Britain may have a reputation for being grey and rainy a lot of the time but water shortages and hosepipe bans are becoming a more regular occurrence during the summer months. Gardening more sustainably and minimising reliance on precious resources, such as water, has a positive effect on the environment but also means you won’t be out watering your garden every day. It’s little surprise then that visitors were treated to displays of so many ‘dry gardens’ at Chelsea; boasting drought-tolerant plants and gravel mulch, which reduces evaporation from the soil.
Gravel can give beds a lovely, finished look, while it also maintains soil temperature, and helps to suppress weeds, which are also responsible for the loss of water in soil.
Some of the best drought-tolerant plants include grasses, Eryngium (sea holly), lavender, box plants, hardy geraniums, bearded iris, heuchera, sedum, and black-eyed Susan. Experiment and have fun with your colour palette.
Cow Parsley
According to garden designer David Domoney, this lovely native species was one of the most-used plants across the famous flower show this year. Ideal for wild, woodland and cottage gardens alike, this pretty plant, with its cloud-like cluster of flowers, moves very nicely in the wind and works well when teamed with tall plants, like grasses.
Cow Parsley can complement bright colours or a simple all-white scheme – the ideal setting for the soft tones of our beautiful teak furniture. Imagine the rich colours of our Jade table in the Bermuda Light 6-seater diner set against celestial white planting…
Japanese paradise
Japandi is a popular design aesthetic indoors but it appears the look has made the leap outdoors, with visitors flocking to see Kazuyuki Ishihara’s display at RHS Chelsea 2023. Once described by the Queen as “a gardening magician”, Kazuyuki captured the gardening world’s imagination with his Biophilic Garden Otsu – Hanare, which created a calm, leafy sanctuary. There was an emphasis on serene spaces with natural, lush green palettes and the odd splash of colour, rather than busy, riotous shades seen in previous years.
Kazuyuki’s Japanese biophilic paradise, highlighted the benefits of nature on human health and showcased a clutter-free, stripped-back outdoor space with acers, pines and mosses – ideal for peaceful contemplation. The beauty of acers, or Japanese maple trees, is that they are slow growing, so great for even compact gardens.
Complement this pared-back look with elegant, minimalist furniture, such as the Nassau collection in white or brand-new Opal range.