The heartwarming second life of Chelsea Flower Show’s gardens

EnvironmentLifestyle
13 May 2026 • 6:36 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

The heartwarming second life of Chelsea Flower Show’s gardens

  • Chelsea Flower Show gardens are increasingly designed with a lasting legacy in mind, ensuring their relocation and repurposing after the event rather than being dismantled.
  • The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) actively champions this sustainable approach, with Project Giving Back, funded by anonymous philanthropists, mandating relocation for charity gardens since 2022, a requirement extended to all gardens from 2023.
  • These relocated gardens find new homes in diverse settings, including hospitals, health services, charity organisations, community growing spaces, and areas for nature, often transforming previously underutilised sites.
  • Core Arts, a mental health charity in London, received a Chelsea garden that significantly kickstarted their community garden project, providing a therapeutic space for skill development, social connection, and engagement with nature for its service users.
  • Further examples include the Down’s Syndrome Scotland garden, destined for Palacerigg Country Park to support people with learning disabilities, and the Mind-in-Furness garden, which transformed a derelict site into a vital therapeutic hub for mental health support.

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