Children agree to let adults into Chelsea garden

ADULTS must find a flower starting with the first letter of their name as part of requirements to gain entry to the first children’s garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Following “serious negotiation”, organisers said children designing a “no adults allowed” garden at the show have been persuaded to let grown-ups into the exhibit – but with a catch.

Any adults that wish to gain access to the garden will have to pledge to donate a tree, give money to the RHS campaign for school gardening, or find a flower that starts with the first letter of their name.

“I’ve done some tough negotiating in my time and this was no walk in the park, but the children and the RHS are all delighted with the results,” said Clare Matterson, the RHS director general. “The [children] came up with the three activities, which they’d like adults to pledge to do one of, and we’ll be asking visitors what they did or plan to do before they enter the garden at the show.”

The garden is part of a push by the RHS to make its flower shows more welcoming to children, following years when they were effectively discouraged from attending.

Children under five have not been allowed at the show, and older children have to buy a full-priced ticket, which this year is £40.85 for non-members.

Designed by pupils aged nine and 10 from the Sulivan School in Fulham, southwest London, with help from landscaper Harry Holding, it includes woodland, meadows and a wetland with oversized bog plants.

It also features a natural den set within a pool of water, complete with a slide designed to be a sanctuary for children to “play, learn, and explore the natural world around them”.

In a statement, the children from Sulivan School said: “Originally, we only wanted children in the garden, so that we could keep it to ourselves and run around.

“But the class also wanted the world to see our hard work and how great a children’s garden could be.

“So we have agreed to allow adults in to the garden as long as they complete one of our pledges.”

The Chelsea Flower Show runs from May 21-25.