Chelsea Flower Show Highlights Environmental Innovation with New Award

The Chelsea Flower Show, held annually in the Royal Hospital Gardens of South-West London, inaugurated its first environmental innovation award on May 20, 2024. The World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden won this accolade for its sustainable design, which utilized 3D-printed terracotta bricks and no concrete. Designed by Giulio Giorgi, the garden was constructed entirely by hand, without using power tools, to minimize carbon emissions.

The garden, built with materials like low-temperature-fired terracotta, reduces the carbon footprint and supports better root system air and water circulation. Giorgi emphasized the importance of using sustainable building materials in garden construction, an often-overlooked aspect of environmental-friendly gardening practices.

The World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden will be relocated to RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey post-show as an educational facility. Other notable events at the show included Dame Judi Dench planting a seedling from the Sycamore Gap tree, felled in Northumberland, in the National Trust’s Octavia Hill garden.

This year’s show also featured drought-resistant plants, water storage innovations, and naturalistic garden styles to address climate change concerns. The Royal Horticultural Society, which runs the event, introduced a “green audit” to ensure larger gardens meet sustainability standards.

Malcolm Anderson, the head of sustainability at RHS, praised the World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden for its use of entirely soil- and timber-based products, highlighting it as a model for future sustainable garden designs.