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Telegraph
21-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Cat-repellent garden sparks Chelsea Flower Show row
A cat-repellent garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has sparked a row with animal welfare charities. Designers of the SongBird Survival Garden deliberately chose trees with spiky thorns to stop cats from climbing them and disturbing birds. Although intended to raise awareness of the drastic decline of songbirds in the UK, the design has proved contentious with animal rights campaigners, who argue it is unfair to cats. They claimed the thorny trees might harm the pets, suggesting they were being scapegoated for the decline in the bird population. The charity behind the garden dismissed suggestions that it was dangerous to cats. The dispute comes the same week that Monty Don, the veteran broadcaster and horticulturalist, made headlines by unveiling a dog-friendly garden at Chelsea. The SongBird Survival Garden, created by designer Nicola Oakey and sponsored by the Project Giving Back charity, is intended to be a safe haven for songbirds, whose numbers in the UK have fallen by 50 per cent over the last five decades. Sue Morgan, chief executive of SongBird Survival, said the garden deliberately uses hawthorn trees to ward off cats and other predators. 'These trees are a great example of shelter,' she told The Telegraph. 'You can see they have got really long thorns within them. It's a really safe place for a bird to sit because bigger birds, cats or other things couldn't get into the tree. 'So they will sit there and then they'll be able to say 'right and I want to go and get some food' and will use it as a launching point. Birds are very cautious, and they make sure they feel safe before they move around.' She added: 'You can grow your garden and plant it in a way that works for the birds and for the cats so they all have their own spaces. It's about finding that solution. 'Having thorny plants can be a natural deterrent. The cats have plenty of other places to go.' On whether the tree is a danger to cats, she said: 'No, no, no, they just wouldn't go up it. They're intelligent creatures. They would see that and think 'I'll go elsewhere'.' The garden has proved popular with the judges – winning a prestigious silver-gilt award – and songbirds, as droppings on plants show they are using it at night. But Elvira Meucci-Lyons, the chief executive of Mayhew, a London-based charity said: 'As an animal welfare charity, we appreciate the need for spaces for all wildlife to flourish. 'However, we urge people to consider the impact of spaces that might harm cats, either through physical injury from spikes, or through mental injury, such as from sound deterrents. Cat-proof roller fencing can be a kinder alternative.' Daniel Warren-Cummings, the central behaviour officer for the Cats Protection charity, said it was easy to scapegoat cats for the decline in the bird population. He said: 'At Cats Protection and as cat owners, many of us are lovers of birds also. And while it is apparent that there are bigger contributors to bird decline in the UK, such as intensive farming and habitat-loss, we encourage responsible cat ownership to reduce predation of birds. 'Planting of trees that cats will not be motivated to climb is a passive tactic and not directly aiming to harm cats, so there would be no objection. Other measures such as keeping cats in overnight to avoid peak wildlife times such as dawn and dusk and playing with your cat for five to 10 minutes each day will also help to reduce your cat's hunting behaviour outside. 'It is often easier to scapegoat cats rather than to holistically look at and change the entirety of the issues facing bird populations in the UK.' Samantha Prior, from Woodgreen Pets Charity, added: 'Some people prefer cats not to be in their gardens and the ideas used in the SongBird Survival Garden are all safe and won't cause any harm to our feline friends. 'However, it's important to remember that cats love to be outdoors and exploring – it's in their DNA. It would be good to see gardens being promoted not for keeping cats out, but for showing people how they can create a cat-friendly garden that appeals to both people and cats. 'If people want to encourage cats to stay in their own garden for adventures, there are loads of great ways to do this. For example, including lots of cat-friendly plants, such as cat mint and cat nip, shrubbery and plant pots will keep cats entertained and give them somewhere to relax or hide, while also still looking visually appealing.'
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
King Charles meets David Beckham after Harry and Meghan's surprise Brooklyn move
The King has had a surprise meeting with David Beckham at the Chelsea Flower Show, with the pair teasing an upcoming project together. The former England captain looked delighted to see Charles and Queen Camilla at the Highgrove Shop stand, where all proceeds go towards the work of The King's Foundation, for which Mr Beckham has acted as an ambassador for a year. The King's Foundation is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, marking over three decades of work to build sustainable communities and transform lives, particularly through building and maintaining green spaces and encouraging learning inspired by nature amongst young people. And the pair's meeting saw them tease a project that aims to encourage young people to consider careers in horticulture. Intriguingly, the meet up comes just days after it emerged the King's estranged son Prince Harry and David's oldest child Brooklyn met at a dinner party amid a simmering feud between the Beckhams. It is believed that Harry and wife Meghan hosted Brooklyn and his wife Nicola at their Montecito mansion just days after Brooklyn skipped his dad David's 50th birthday celebrations amid a family row. And with Harry also at loggerheads with his father, King Charles and brother Prince William, he was reportedly able to offer his support to Brooklyn, who has become distant from his parents. Meanwhile, the King was joined at the Chelsea Flower Show by Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which the King supports as patron, the event first began in 1913 and is staged in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, famed for its Chelsea Pensioners. One of the feature gardens this year is the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, designed by broadcaster and gardener Monty Don, which has grass areas for dogs to enjoy and a large tree providing shade. The brick paths are inscribed with the names of dogs belonging to Radio 2 presenters and RHS ambassadors, as well as Don's beloved dog Ned, reflecting the special place dogs hold in the nation's hearts and gardens. The names of Camilla's adopted Jack Russell terrier Bluebell and her new puppy Moley will also be featured on the path, alongside that of her much-loved dog Beth, who died last year. The name of Charles's dog, Snuff, is also included on the path. A new image released by Buckingham Palace yesterday shows the Queen wearing a summer dress and holding Moley. Seated in a garden beside a greenhouse, Camilla is pictured smiling warmly as she cradles the young dog, who was rehomed through Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London earlier this year. After the four-day show, which opens to the public on Tuesday, the dog garden will be moved to the Battersea centre which the Queen supports as patron. This year the King's Trust has a Chelsea garden, supported by Project Giving Back, called Seeding Success. It was designed by Joe Perkins and takes its inspiration from the more than one million young people the trust has supported since it was founded almost 50 years ago. As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news on the UK's most famous family. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is , select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our .
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
The best Chelsea Flower Show gardens, according to our expert
This year I arrived six days prior to the opening of the Chelsea Flower Show to help build the Horatio's Garden stand, so I was able to get a preview of this year's show gardens. Even though our stand is only 24 square metres, I still had adrenaline rushes, angst and heartache, similar to when I did my first large show garden in 1994. Few people can realise the thrills and spills that go with a garden build, and as Mark Straver from plant supplier Hotus Loci pointed out, this year we have had no rain for three months, whereas last year we were deluged, so nurseries were flooded and lost masses of stock. Mark has supplied around a quarter of the plants in the gardens this year – quite a feat. Here's my view of what I have seen so far. My pick of the show gardens For a few years now there has been a definite lack of structured gardens, straight lines and order. The style over the last few years has tended to be rather amorphous. The gardens are dominated by curves, fluid lines and not much that is adaptable for a garden to live in. I like nothing better than seeing a garden that inspires me, that showcases clever design and shows me something to lust over, but it seems these are firmly on the back-burner. I did, though, find some very clever touches, sensational planting combinations, new techniques and useful advances in horticulture. The Garden of Compassion by Tom Hoblyn Four of the six large show gardens are sponsored by Project Giving Back and the first one to catch my eye was Tom Hoblyn's garden for Hospice UK, the Garden of Compassion. His Mediterranean-style landscape works well as a show garden, with the soft peachy terracotta colours and strong statement plants. One of the latter is a fine Pinus pinea five metres high by four metres wide – the umbrella or stone pine that provides the edible pine nuts for pesto. Ficus carica 'Crystal Ice', a new rare fig with finely cut leaves that look quite like a doily, and Arbutus andrachne with its cinnamon bark will be high on acquisitive gardeners' hit lists I would think. The garden, inspired by the olive houses in the Med, has similar interconnecting 'rooms' and wonderful dry-stone walls that look slightly higgledy-piggledy, as you would expect. The colours of the rendered walls are daring, going from moody purple aubergine to burnt sienna and yellow ochre. Render always features at Chelsea, and Tom dyed the sand and cement by stirring in various pigments, guided by interior designer Rachel Chudley. Look out for Delphinium peregrinum, a long-flowering annual that flowers all summer long, with dark purple/blue flowers (buy seeds for this from The GlassHouse Garden by Jo Thompson Jo had thrown down the trowel as far as Chelsea was concerned but was tempted back by working with the GlassHouse, a social enterprise that helps to reduce women prisoners reoffending by offering horticultural training and re-employment. As Jo pointed out, it is extraordinary that we think we can reform people by keeping them isolated and locked in a cell, while the rest of us are latching on to the benefits of nature. The garden features a generous amount of shrub roses in beautiful, sumptuous shades of mauve, apricot pinks and rich purples. These include my firm favourite, Rosa 'Emma Bridgewater', and a new favourite, Rosa 'Wild Rover'. The purple Baptisia 'Burgundy Blast' makes you drool, but is, says Jo, a 'bit of sod' to keep alive. The crazy paving was treated brilliantly: huge pieces of York stone that had been tumbled so they looked river worn, and studded with low creeping plants such as Mind Your Own Business. The Hospitalfield Arts Garden by Nigel Dunnett This garden was inspired by the dunes on the east coast of Scotland near where the garden is to be relocated. Nigel's dunes are created from timber 'fins' filled with earth and topped with 10cm of pinky sand that is studded with a wide range of Mediterranean-type plants. A star is the Bulbine frutescens 'Sunset Yellow', also known as the Burnt jelly plant, as it has jelly-like sap traditionally used for minor burns and the like. The Avanade Intelligent Garden by Tom Massey and Je Ahn This is one of the few gardens not sponsored by PGB and is definitely a stand-out. Avanade Microsoft has equipped this groundbreaking garden's trees with sensors that monitor growth, sap flow, soil conditions, air quality and weather patterns. AI analyses the data to spot trends and provide advice. The monitors are small black boxes (10 x 3cm) and should be widely available in three years or so. The building is fascinating. Tom Massey with Architect Je Ahn designed it with the help of Sebastian Cox ( it was made using shavings of goat willow and birch inoculated with a bracket fungi, which works through the wood and holds it together. The growth of the fungi is stopped at a critical point (otherwise potential it would become powder). Dogs' business Monty Don and his dog Ned will no doubt swallow up masses of air and pull in many devoted fans with their Garden for Dogs (which is for the RHS and not judged), but in reality I think Ned would far rather the many thousands of pounds went to Battersea Dogs Home… The pots, though, are impressive and will be available shortly for around £70. These beauties, designed by Monty and Jim Keeling ( feature Ned in relief on one face and a golden paw print on the other. For doggy fans, Plankbride ( which makes shepherd's huts for the Pig Hotel among others, is exhibiting a hut containing a full kingsize bed with a dog bed built underneath that rolls out on castors. My favourite charity Horatio's Garden is a charity founded by the parents of Horatio Chapple, who was tragically killed while on an adventure holiday aged 17. I helped out on their stand this year, which is in conjunction with Country Living, and features a bench where visitors can have their photograph taken in front of one of the magazine's covers. We created cylindrical wire-mesh arches and columns to frame a wirework bench and planted inside them with fragrant Trachelospermums, and we also flooded the floor with meadow planting. The focal point is an antique wirework bench from English Salvage ( The Worm That Turns ( lent us a simple Fermob bistro set while Pictorial Meadows ( gave us their superb, instant perennial flowering turf. The best balcony garden The garden sponsored by ME+EM has some clever planters. Caroline and Peter Clayton of Viriditas Studios used basic pots and clad them in dark green glazed-clay tiles from Bert & May ( A beautiful built-in sunbed beckons, and different shaped and sized pots all clad in similar tiles create a highly useable, unified space. A small garden with style Killik and Co's Save for a Rainy Day Garden designed by Baz Grainger had some truly great touches and yet is very easy on the eye. Huge, 22 x 20cm cedar beams cantilever out from a 3D-printed concrete wall – the beams are hollow troughs that collect rainwater which empties out to a pool that is designed to flow over periodically. Fun features The Saatchi Gallery's garden (not judged) is designed by Naomi Ferrett-Cohen. It features fun sculptures made of old baling twine by Darcey Flemming, including a chair and a picture – a new use for 'bind a twine'. It's all set amid relaxed naturalist planting and enclosed with an equally naturalistic fence of vertical rustic poles that would be easy to make, and which I will copy somewhere, sometime. The future The Great Pavilion holds endless fascination for many. I learnt about tree ferns from Billy Alexander from Kells Bay Gardens: I had not realised he has 6–8 acres of naturalised tree-fern forest in County Kerry, and that a fair few have spread by seed there. He, like a good handful of growers, said they would have difficulties coming back if peat was present in their show plants' compost, especially as his plants grow in natural, peaty soil. So many top growers who are seasoned horticulturists cannot get the results by using peat-free composts, so as a result many will bow out when the ban kicks in next year. The Show Gardens will also dwindle to almost nothing when Project Giving Back gives up sponsorship after 2026. But as for this 2025 show, with good weather forecast and a fair but dwindling number of exhibitors and show gardens, I think it is definitely worth a visit.
North Wales Chronicle
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Names of King and Queen's dogs to feature in Chelsea Flower Show garden
Charles and Camilla will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for their tour on Monday of the world famous horticultural event, known for its cutting-edge garden designs. Run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which the King supports as patron, the event first began in 1913 and is staged in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, famed for its Chelsea Pensioners. One of the feature gardens is the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, designed by broadcaster and gardener Monty Don, which has grass areas for dogs to enjoy and a large tree providing shade. The brick paths are inscribed with the names of dogs belonging to Radio 2 presenters and RHS ambassadors, as well as Don's beloved dog Ned, reflecting the special place dogs hold in the nation's hearts and gardens. The names of Camilla's adopted Jack Russell terrier Bluebell and her new puppy Moley will also be featured on the path, alongside that of her much-loved dog Beth, who died last year. The name of Charles's dog, Snuff, is also included on the path. After the four-day show, which opens to the public on Tuesday, the dog garden will be moved to the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which the Queen supports as patron. This year the King's Trust has a Chelsea garden, supported by Project Giving Back, called Seeding Success. It was designed by Joe Perkins and takes its inspiration from the more than one million young people the trust has supported since it was founded almost 50 years ago.
South Wales Guardian
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Names of King and Queen's dogs to feature in Chelsea Flower Show garden
Charles and Camilla will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for their tour on Monday of the world famous horticultural event, known for its cutting-edge garden designs. Run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which the King supports as patron, the event first began in 1913 and is staged in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, famed for its Chelsea Pensioners. One of the feature gardens is the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, designed by broadcaster and gardener Monty Don, which has grass areas for dogs to enjoy and a large tree providing shade. The brick paths are inscribed with the names of dogs belonging to Radio 2 presenters and RHS ambassadors, as well as Don's beloved dog Ned, reflecting the special place dogs hold in the nation's hearts and gardens. The names of Camilla's adopted Jack Russell terrier Bluebell and her new puppy Moley will also be featured on the path, alongside that of her much-loved dog Beth, who died last year. The name of Charles's dog, Snuff, is also included on the path. After the four-day show, which opens to the public on Tuesday, the dog garden will be moved to the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which the Queen supports as patron. This year the King's Trust has a Chelsea garden, supported by Project Giving Back, called Seeding Success. It was designed by Joe Perkins and takes its inspiration from the more than one million young people the trust has supported since it was founded almost 50 years ago.
