Latest news with #GardenoftheFuture
Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Peter Dowdall: Action stations at Mallow Home & Garden Festival
As the days lengthen and the sun shines brighter, gardens have once more taken centre stage, but with the increasing unpredictability of our weather, long dry spells followed by sudden downpours, it's becoming clear that our traditional approaches to gardening may need a rethink. This year's Chelsea Flower Show echoed that sentiment, showcasing designs and plant selections that embrace resilience and sustainability. The focus on drought-tolerant plants was noticeable. The Karoo Garden, inspired by South Africa's semi-desert, showcased succulents and hardy species suited to arid conditions. More locally, the Garden of the Future featured dry-resistant plants like rock rose, Cistus × purpureus and chickpeas Cicer arietinum. Angela and Henk Veldman and Joan O'Donovan, all from Courtmachsherry, at Mallow Home & Garden Festival. Pictures: Eddie O'Hare Adding these plants to our gardens doesn't mean compromising on beauty. The Sally Holmes rose, with its large white blooms, was a highlight at Chelsea, showing that elegance and hardiness can coexist. Likewise, the Allium siculum, or Sicilian honey garlic, with its bell-shaped flowers, adds structure and thrives in drier soils. Garden design was key to water-wise gardening at the show. Naturalistic planting, gravel paths, and mulch helped retain soil moisture and cut down on extra watering. Raised beds and containers improved control over soil and drainage. Adapting gardens by starting with small changes can be effective. Adding drought-tolerant plants, using mulch to retain soil moisture, and adjusting watering routines are all practical steps. The Chelsea Flower Show illustrated that these modifications can create sustainable yet visually appealing and interesting gardens. Graham Walker from Carrigaline at Mallow Home & Garden Festival. Bringing such inspiration down to earth and into our own hands, as always, was Mallow Home & Garden Festival, which unfolded from Friday, May 23, to Sunday, May 25, at Cork Racecourse. It was a real show experience as festivalgoers walked through the gardens, smelled the flowers, and growers and designers gave us an insight into their work, before garden-lovers packed their car boots with their plant purchases. Trish O'Sullivan (left) and Tina Cronin both from Cullen. After attending, people didn't just take home tools, furniture and crafts, but clever design ideas for inside and out, as over 200 exhibitors showcased everything from home improvement solutions to artisan food and drink. The 25 stunning show gardens on display offered ideas that work in real gardens here in Ireland. The gathering of Irish Specialist Nursery Association members, in the stables area of the racecourse, provided us with the opportunity to snap up rare gems not to be seen in a standard garden centre. For me personally, one of the best parts of the weekend is the series of free gardening talks and demonstrations, and I enjoyed sharing knowledge along with my good friend Paraic Horkan as we covered everything from planting combinations to garden design, pest control to pollinator-friendly practices and taking a resilient approach to gardening. Irish Examiner gardening columnist Peter Dowdall speaking at Mallow Home and Garden Festival. All in all, as we head into the warmer months, perhaps it's time to take a leaf out of Chelsea's book and embrace this more resilient approach. All smiles: Frances and Noel Horgan, Dromahane, with Barkley, at Mallow Home & Garden Festival. After all, a garden that can weather the extremes is one that will continue to bring joy, come rain or shine. But let's be honest, the idea of a drought-resilient garden can conjure up images of dry gravel beds and lifeless, beige expanses. The reality, though, couldn't be further from that, especially if you draw a little inspiration from the likes of the show gardens at Chelsea this year. Dressed to impress: Laleh and Ariobanzan O'Sullivan from Castletroy. There was colour, texture, and even romance in many of the drought-leaning plant choices, with designers managing to capture wildness and beauty without sacrificing resilience. Adham Jaber and Barra O Donnabhain from Aghabullogue at the Mallow Home & Garden Festival 2025. Take, for example, the widespread use of achillea in warm golds, apricots, and pinks. This plant not only thrives in dry, free-draining soil, but it also attracts pollinators in droves and holds its own structure beautifully well into autumn. And then there were the swaying grasses, things like Stipa tenuissima and Sesleria autumnalis, both light and airy, drought-hardy, and full of gentle movement that brings a garden to life even when everything else seems to be wilting. One of the key things to understand is that drought-resilient doesn't mean bone dry. It's more about reducing the need for constant intervention. Instead of daily hosepipe sessions and feeding schedules, you're building a system that's balanced, where plants cope, soils retain just enough moisture, and every drop of water does its job. The soil, really, is the foundation of it all. In much the same way, a healthy gut leads to a healthy body; good soil will set you up for a thriving garden with far less effort. Adding organic matter, compost, leaf mould or well-rotted manure not only improves the structure of the soil, allowing it to retain more moisture during dry periods, but also helps it drain properly when the heavens do finally open. Mulching that improved soil with bark, straw, or even gravel, depending on your preferred look, helps to lock that moisture in and reduce evaporation. Marguerite and Eimear O'Farrell from Dripsey. There's also something to be said for planting density. In many of the Chelsea gardens this year, we saw a move away from the isolated specimen planting of decades past, in favour of layered, naturalistic groupings. When plants grow close together, they create a microclimate at soil level, with less exposure to sun and wind, and more retained humidity. Think of a patch of Salvia nemorosa underplanted with Erigeron karvinskianus, and flanked by Lavandula Hidcote. All are sun lovers, all cope well with dryness, and together they create a tapestry that looks stunning while working to support itself. Another subtle but important tip: water less often, but more deeply. A light sprinkle each evening encourages shallow roots, which are far more vulnerable during hot weather. But a deep soak once or twice a week, ideally in the early morning or late evening, teaches roots to grow downwards, tapping into moisture further below the surface. It's about changing our habits as gardeners, not just changing the plants. Una Tierney, Mallow, Teresa Hogan, Waterfall, and Mary Weir, Mallow. And while we're changing habits, it's worth taking a moment to think about the thirsty parts of the garden we've accepted without question. Lawns are a good example. They're often the most water-demanding part of the garden and arguably the least useful to wildlife. Instead of a monoculture of grass, could that space become a mini meadow? Or at least tolerate a bit of clover and selfheal, which not only require less watering, but also support pollinators and improve soil health? Pam O'Regan, Vicarstown, with Coco, and Bernadette Moran, Waterfall, at Mallow. One of the show gardens this year took exactly that approach. Rather than presenting the perfect green lawn, it featured a blend of native wildflowers, yarrow, and low-growing thyme, creating a soft and textured mat that hummed with life and barely needed a drop of extra water. There was also a noticeable emphasis on Mediterranean-style planting. It makes sense, countries like Spain and Italy have been managing dry summers for centuries, and many of the plants that thrive there do just as well here, provided they have good drainage. Rosemary, sage, oregano, phlomis, euphorbia, all of them performed well at Chelsea and could perform just as beautifully in a dry border at home. Ultimately, gardening with the climate rather than against it isn't a compromise. It's a philosophy that leads to healthier, more vibrant gardens and to gardeners who aren't constantly battling the weather.
Daily Tribune
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
AI talking trees feature at Chelsea Flower Show
Talking trees powered by AI, drought-resistant crops and sweet potatoes sprouting among flowers -- the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show is facing the future with a focus on innovation and climate-change adaptation. There are stunning gardens, 30 competing for top awards, and more than 400 exhibitors showcasing their gardening knowledge and carefully-cultivated plants to the public and champagne-sipping VIPs. King Charles III was to visit Monday with Queen Camilla, with an eye on the show's first ever dog garden, designed by celebrity gardener Monty Don. The head of state was also expected to visit the Wildlife Trusts' British Rainforests garden where the main attraction is a 50-year-old fern that once thrived in the Great Park of Windsor. The garden was 'inspired by the enchanted forests of Arthurian legend' and it 'rekindles the wild and wet woodlands that once swathed vast landscapes along the west coast'. Intelligent Garden In the Intelligent Garden, plant-lovers can truly talk to the trees thanks to artificial intelligence. Pioneering AI sensors called Treetalk have been installed to give updates on the trees' needs in urban environments, whether they are under stress and how to care for them. 'Urban trees filter air pollution, cool the air, support wildlife, and boost community wellbeing. Yet, they face immense challenges,' the RHS said about the garden designed by Tom Massey and architect Je Ahn. About 50 percent of urban trees do not survive beyond 10 years and up to 30 percent die in their first year, it added. 'The use of AI is not going to replace a human being, our intuition and our labour. It's still the core and heart of this garden,' said Je Ahn. But data could give 'a clearer picture of what's going on around us'. 'Challenging conditions' The plants on display in the Garden of the Future 'have the ability to survive in a range of challenging conditions,' the designers told the RHS. Growing among the more common hawthorn bushes, are sweet potatoes which have 'fantastic nutritional value and are drought resistant,' sorghum a popular cereal from Africa, rock roses and chickpeas that are 'more resilient to warmer climates', they said. Those are all crops that 'can grow right here in the UK', said Ana Maria Loboguerrero, the Gates Foundation's director of adaptive and equitable food systems. It is the first time the foundation has sponsored a garden at the show. Designers Matthew Butler and Josh Parker said the show was a chance to reflect on 'the future of crops, food and livelihoods in the face of climate change'. The theme of sustainability is echoed across the show, including in the Seawilding garden inspired by the landscape around Loch Craignish, on the west coast of Scotland. It includes a saltwater pool, planted with seagrass -- the first time that it has ever been displayed at the show and the UK's 'only native flowering plant in the ocean,' the RHS says. Designer Ryan McMahon said he 'always assumed seagrass grew in warmer climates' so was intrigued when he discovered it in Scotland. There is also a garden called 'Songbird Survival' amid reports bird numbers have fallen in UK gardens by 50 percent in the past two generations. Or visitors can discover the 'Making Life Better with Bees' garden, with insects key to pollination. In 2021, the RHS it said it would ban the use of peat, a natural captor of CO2 one of the main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, from the end of 2025. But growers will be able until 2028 to continue using peat, an organic material made over thousands of years from decaying vegetation in the UK's dwindling wetlands. The RHS decided to push back the peat ban for growers 'due to a complex horticultural supply chain where 60 percent of young plants, many grown in peat, are sourced from abroad'.
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bogs and dogs: Chelsea flower show puts practical gardens in spotlight
Frisbees, solar panels and a toilet are among the rather unorthodox stars of the Chelsea flower show, as horticulturalists attempt to show how gardens can be practical as well as beautiful. The event, now in its 112th year, usually tends toward showcasing peonies and roses over human waste. But the Garden of the Future, designed by Matthew Butler and Josh Parker, features a lavatory that creates a biochar compost perfect for growing vegetables. 'It converts the solids into a biochar and then the liquids into a water that is safe to use on the ornamental planting,' Butler said. Brandishing a small pot of the substance, he added: 'That's from the toilet. So it's like a light friable soil. There's a little drawer next to the toilet, you pull it out, and the contents can be used on the garden to help improve the crops.' His garden also prominently features a ground-mounted solar panel, which powers an irrigation pump. This year has been very hot and sunny, with areas of the UK experiencing early stages of drought, making irrigation especially important. In response to weather extremes brought on by climate breakdown, the garden features drought-friendly crops that can be grown in home vegetable patches. 'Our chickpeas have been growing well,' Butler said. 'We both grow them at home ourselves too, and sweet potatoes, which are becoming a more common crop in the UK; farmers [are] growing sweet potatoes in lots of parts of the south.' Lucy Hutchings of She Grows Veg , who is exhibiting her perfect vegetables in the Great Pavilion at the show, has also been experimenting with drought-friendly crops. 'We are based in East Anglia, and it basically hasn't rained in a month and a half,' she said. 'Leafy greens tend to bolt in these conditions, and some have, so we are experimenting with drought-friendly varieties like amaranth.' The drought isn't all bad news though; while they can still be irrigated, it will be a brilliant year for tomatoes, Hutchings said. 'We're having to make sure that we water them, obviously, but they'll ripen quicker,' she said. 'It's going to be a fantastic season for tomatoes, and that little bit of drought actually really intensifies the flavour.' Frisbees and tennis balls are not usually a feature of the genteel event but Monty Don of BBC Gardeners' World brought both to his dog-friendly garden. Ned, the golden retriever, chased his toys around Don's creation, which features a special 'robust lawn' made for canine companions, flowers that are non-toxic to pets, and a pond for dogs to splash around. The BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley also brought her dog, which played on the lawn with Ned. Gesturing to the lawn, Don said: 'You can see it's looking quite trashed already. What it'll be like for the end of the week, I don't know, but it's a real lawn, and it's for dogs to play in.' Ned also helped him design the garden by creating pathways through the flower borders, Don revealed: 'If you look closely in the border, there are paths where the dog has weaved through.' He said a fox had already enjoyed these crumpled spaces, sleeping among the poppies on Sunday night. Queen Camilla, a dog-lover, was due to visit Don's garden along with her new terrier, Moley, which was adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where the garden will be relocated after the show. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Though dogs are being celebrated at Chelsea, cats are not welcome in the SongBird Survival Garden. Susan Morgan, chief executive of the charity SongBird Survival, which sponsored the garden, said trees with spiky thorns were selected to put cats off climbing them and disturbing birds. 'Look at it – a cat wouldn't like climbing up that,' she said, pointing out a broad-leaved cockspur thorn. The garden is designed to welcome and support songbirds, which are in drastic decline in the UK. The garden is full of plants that produce berries for birds to eat, including blackcurrant and alpine strawberries, as well as pollinator-friendly flowers that attract insects, which are prey for birds. 'We also planted thick yew hedges, which are perfect for them to nest in,' Morgan added. She hasn't seen any songbirds using the garden yet, but there is evidence they have already been enjoying it. 'It's a bit busy here during the day, but there has been bird poo on the plants – we think they come at night. There's a blackbird on site we are hoping to attract when it's a bit quieter,' she added. Celebrities enjoying the gardens on the show's press day, which takes places the day before it opens to the public, included Cate Blanchett, Carol Vorderman, David Tennant and Judi Dench. The RHS Chelsea flower show is on from 20 to 24 May in the Royal Hospital gardens.
Japan Today
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
AI talking trees feature at Chelsea Flower Show
Floral artist Ricky Paul looks at the Chelsea Punk, a mohican made from pampas grass By Brigitte DUSSEAU Talking trees powered by AI, drought-resistant crops and sweet potatoes sprouting among flowers -- the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show is facing the future with a focus on innovation and climate-change adaptation. Over five days starting Tuesday, more than 140,000 visitors are expected to view what the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) bills as "the pinnacle of horticultural excellence". There are stunning gardens, 30 competing for top awards, and more than 400 exhibitors showcasing their gardening knowledge and carefully-cultivated plants to the public and champagne-sipping VIPs. King Charles III was to visit Monday with Queen Camilla, with an eye on the show's first ever dog garden, designed by celebrity gardener Monty Don. The head of state was also expected to visit the Wildlife Trusts' British Rainforests garden where the main attraction is a 50-year-old fern that once thrived in the Great Park of Windsor. The garden was "inspired by the enchanted forests of Arthurian legend" and it "rekindles the wild and wet woodlands that once swathed vast landscapes along the west coast". In the Intelligent Garden, plant-lovers can truly talk to the trees thanks to artificial intelligence. Pioneering AI sensors called Treetalk have been installed to give updates on the trees' needs in urban environments, whether they are under stress and how to care for them. "Urban trees filter air pollution, cool the air, support wildlife, and boost community wellbeing. Yet, they face immense challenges," the RHS said about the garden designed by Tom Massey and architect Je Ahn. About 50 percent of urban trees do not survive beyond 10 years and up to 30 percent die in their first year, it added. "The use of AI is not going to replace a human being, our intuition and our labour. It's still the core and heart of this garden," said Je Ahn. But data could give "a clearer picture of what's going on around us". The plants on display in the Garden of the Future "have the ability to survive in a range of challenging conditions," the designers told the RHS. Growing among the more common hawthorn bushes, are sweet potatoes which have "fantastic nutritional value and are drought resistant," sorghum a popular cereal from Africa, rock roses and chickpeas that are "more resilient to warmer climates", they said. Those are all crops that "can grow right here in the UK", said Ana Maria Loboguerrero, the Gates Foundation's director of adaptive and equitable food systems. It is the first time the foundation has sponsored a garden at the show. Designers Matthew Butler and Josh Parker said the show was a chance to reflect on "the future of crops, food and livelihoods in the face of climate change". The theme of sustainability is echoed across the show, including in the Seawilding garden inspired by the landscape around Loch Craignish, on the west coast of Scotland. It includes a saltwater pool, planted with seagrass -- the first time that it has ever been displayed at the show and the UK's "only native flowering plant in the ocean," the RHS says. Designer Ryan McMahon said he "always assumed seagrass grew in warmer climates" so was intrigued when he discovered it in Scotland. There is also a garden called "Songbird Survival" amid reports bird numbers have fallen in UK gardens by 50 percent in the past two generations. Or visitors can discover the "Making Life Better with Bees" garden, with insects key to pollination. The annual horticultural show is organised in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, and has long championed environmental issues. In 2021, the RHS it said it would ban the use of peat, a natural captor of CO2 one of the main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, from the end of 2025. But growers will be able until 2028 to continue using peat, an organic material made over thousands of years from decaying vegetation in the UK's dwindling wetlands. The RHS decided to push back the peat ban for growers "due to a complex horticultural supply chain where 60 percent of young plants, many grown in peat, are sourced from abroad". © 2025 AFP
Observer
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
AI talking trees feature at Chelsea Flower Show
Talking trees powered by AI, drought-resistant crops and sweet potatoes sprouting among flowers — the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show is facing the future with a focus on innovation and climate-change adaptation. Over five days starting on Tuesday, more than 140,000 visitors are expected to view what the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) bills as 'the pinnacle of horticultural excellence'. There are stunning gardens, 30 competing for top awards, and more than 400 exhibitors showcasing their gardening knowledge and carefully-cultivated plants to the public and champagne-sipping VIPs. King Charles III was to visit with Queen Camilla, with an eye on the show's first ever dog garden, designed by celebrity gardener Monty Don. The head of state was also expected to visit the Wildlife Trusts' British Rainforests garden where the main attraction is a 50-year-old fern that once thrived in the Great Park of Windsor. The garden was 'inspired by the enchanted forests of Arthurian legend' and it 'rekindles the wild and wet woodlands that once swathed vast landscapes along the west coast'. In the Intelligent Garden, plant-lovers can truly talk to the trees thanks to artificial intelligence. Pioneering AI sensors called Treetalk have been installed to give updates on the trees' needs in urban environments, whether they are under stress and how to care for them. 'Urban trees filter air pollution, cool the air, support wildlife and boost community well-being. Yet, they face immense challenges,' the RHS said about the garden designed by Tom Massey and architect Je Ahn. About 50 per cent of urban trees do not survive beyond 10 years and up to 30 per cent die in their first year, it added. 'The use of AI is not going to replace a human being, our intuition and our labour. It's still the core and heart of this garden,' said Je Ahn. But data could give 'a clearer picture of what's going on around us'. The plants on display in the Garden of the Future 'have the ability to survive in a range of challenging conditions,' the designers told the RHS. Growing among the more common hawthorn bushes, are sweet potatoes which have 'fantastic nutritional value and are drought resistant,' sorghum a popular cereal from Africa, rock roses and chickpeas that are 'more resilient to warmer climates', they said. Those are all crops that 'can grow right here in the UK', said Ana Maria Loboguerrero, the Gates Foundation's director of adaptive and equitable food systems. It is the first time the foundation has sponsored a garden at the show. Designers Matthew Butler and Josh Parker said the show was a chance to reflect on 'the future of crops, food and livelihoods in the face of climate change'. The theme of sustainability is echoed across the show, including in the Seawilding garden inspired by the landscape around Loch Craignish, on the west coast of Scotland. It includes a saltwater pool, planted with seagrass — the first time that it has ever been displayed at the show and the UK's 'only native flowering plant in the ocean,' the RHS says. Designer Ryan McMahon said he 'always assumed seagrass grew in warmer climates' so was intrigued when he discovered it in Scotland. There is also a garden called 'Songbird Survival' amid reports bird numbers have fallen in UK gardens by 50 per cent in the past two generations. Or visitors can discover the 'Making Life Better with Bees' garden, with insects key to pollination. The annual horticultural show is organised in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, and has long championed environmental issues. In 2021, the RHS it said it would ban the use of peat, a natural captor of CO2 one of the main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, from the end of 2025. But growers will be able until 2028 to continue using peat, an organic material made over thousands of years from decaying vegetation in the UK's dwindling wetlands. The RHS decided to push back the peat ban for growers 'due to a complex horticultural supply chain where 60 percent of young plants, many grown in peat, are sourced from abroad'.
