The CDS Group - A behind the scenes view from the Chelsea Flower Show.
The CDS Group
The only internationally recognised company specialising in cemetery & crematorium design, planning & project management
For all who love gardens and nature, the return of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show following pandemic restrictions, is a major event as gates to the public today.
Anne Jennings, CDS’s Associate Director leading the landscape team is an RHS Flower Show Judge and as such enjoyed a ‘behind the scenes’ view of the gardens over the last few days.
Two important factors influence the gardens this year, both being relevant to our work and industry. The first was the emphasis on mental health and the restorative powers of nature in terms of holistic health, as well as the comfort and emotional support that quality green space can offer.
Jamie Butterworth’s The Place2Be Securing Tomorrow garden is exquisite in its plantsmanship and sense of place, justly being awarded a Gold medal. Jamie worked with the child health charity Place2Be which will ensure the garden is put to its ultimate use after the show when installed at a primary school where children struggling with mental health will have a safe and secure ‘place to be’.
Environmental awareness also had a significant presence with a number of gardens interpreting the narrative in different ways. Perhaps the most beautiful is the Gold medal winning Urquhart & Hunt’s A Rewilding Britain landscape in partnership with Rewilding Britain charity. As we look ahead to 2023 when Biodiversity Net Gain will become an increasingly important factor in our work, this garden is a timely reminder of the beauty and importance of natural landscape.