ASK AN ECO ACTIVIST

This month Tom Massey, designer of the first organic show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

CHELSEA’S FIRST ORGANIC SHOW GARDEN – THAT’S QUITE A COUP…

As far as we know, it’s never been done before. I’m determined to create a garden without chemical pesticides or fertilisers, using peat-free soil and minimal plastic. Other show gardens have incorporated organic elements but I believe the Yeo Valley Organic Garden is the first attempt at growing everything organically.

DOES THAT MAKE IT MORE STRESSFUL?

Gardening this way is less predictable but that makes it more exciting. Sarah Mead, the head gardener at Yeo Valley, has made it clear that winning a medal is definitely secondary to creating a garden that’s genuinely organic and promotes that approach. This is my fifth show garden, so I’m familiar with the process, but I’m sure I won’t be feeling relaxed the day before judging!

WALK US THROUGH YOUR GARDEN…

We’ve planned a mix of perennials and ornamental grasses. There’s going to be meadowland and woodland with birch, willow, medlar and quince trees, so it’ll feel like a little slice of

Somerset. A stream will flow alongside a stepping-stone pathway leading to a hanging egg-shaped oak hide by Tom Raffield. Mendip stone boulders and charred logs come from Yeo Valley’s farmland and will be returned there once the show is over.

IS ORGANIC JUST SCRUFFY AND BUGGY?

We want to prove it can be beautiful, too. Of course, not using chemical pesticides means plants are at more risk from aphids, vine weevils and slugs, but there are good chemical-free pesticides out there such as SB Invigorator. Organic plants don’t grow as big but are more resilient, as they don’t rely on chemicals for survival.

ANY OTHER BUG-BUSTING TIPS?

Encourage predators into your garden – a small pond will bring toads who love to eat slugs. Or, if you know a plant is susceptible to pests, put a bird feeder nearby – the birds will dispense with them.

COULD CHELSEA GO FULLY ORGANIC?

Things are already changing, with the show going peat-free. The next step could be banning chemical pesticides and fertilisers and asking exhibitors to use organic potting compost. I think the judges should also offer marks for sustainability as an incentive. For me, it’s about protecting the natural world. At the moment, 40% of insect species in the UK are declining, with a third classed as ‘endangered’. If we carry on using insecticides, we’re looking at mass insect extinction in the next 50 years.

IS THE SHOW DIFFERENT THIS YEAR?

Sarah and I were thrilled when the show was scheduled for September. We had been due to exhibit in 2020, when it was cancelled. I didn’t want the plants to be wasted, so we delivered them to hospitals. A few were saved for this year. It’s been a challenge keeping them vibrant, but organic principles promote reuse over a manicured garden and the ferns and grasses are fuller. I love seeing fruit on trees and silhouettes of seed heads against low autumn light.

WHAT’S IN THE DIARY AFTER CHELSEA?

I’m filming a second series of Your Garden Made Perfect for BBC Two and recently created a ‘moveable’ orchard, planted in pallets near the Olympic Park. I’m working on residential projects, too – from Yorkshire to Cornwall. I want to create beautiful gardens that enhance the environment and support wildlife.