A Rewilding Britain Landscape
In recent years, there’s been an increasing emphasis on environmental issues at the show, and Chelsea first-timers Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt are set to take that one step further with a ‘naturally’ rewilded landscape, complete with beaver dam.
“As a design partnership, concerns about ecology and environment are central to all our work, and we will be making this garden as authentic as we can even though that might involve treading an interesting path,” says Adam. “Combining the requirements of a Chelsea show garden with the magic and beauty we see in rewilded landscapes merges two potential different aesthetics, but the RHS is behind what we are trying to do, and everyone has been unbelievably supportive.”
The garden combines a riparian landscape of wetland, flowing water and a beaver pool, with drier upland sections retained by a wall of loose-set stones retrieved from a defunct Exmoor quarry. A characterful beaver-watching hide will be constructed from old timber and repurposed corrugated iron, and the plants are all native species, including a venerable crack willow (Salix x fragilis) and tiny violas, an important fodder species for fritillary butterflies.
“We are presenting a vision of a traditional landscape that we have lost only recently, but our message is very future oriented,” says Lulu. “We should be able to live alongside all our fellow creatures. A natural mindset is helpful to our planet, and also deeply satisfying for ourselves. With this garden, we aspire to transport Chelsea visitors for a millisecond to a place where that idea becomes reality.”
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
1 The plants in this garden will all be species native to the southwest of England, such as the beautiful wild orchid Epipactis palustris, although Lulu and Adam are keen to emphasise that none of these will be wild collected.
2 To present as authentic a rewilding
landscape as possible all the plants, including native grasses, will be shown as one would see them in the wild, with their previous year’s growth and pre-season seedhead remnants left on, together with the brown, former season’s dead foliage. 3 The beaver lodge and dam are made by Ben Garden of Water Artisans, and will highlight the fact that beaver structures help to mitigate flash floods and act as carbon sinks. waterartisans.com
4 A raised path of wavy-edged oak boards will wind through the garden, its design inspired by a Neolithic path, called the Sweet Track. “It’s just one person wide, which forces you to slow right down and take in your surroundings,” says Adam.
5 A rewilding soundtrack will be played through the garden, helping to transport visitors to the countryside.