▷ Ideas for Lithuania from the exhibition "RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021".

After a one-year hiatus, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 international exhibition in London invited landscape professionals and enthusiasts to come up with ideas and learn about landscape trends. This year a landscaper went there Gina Gajauskienė («Garden Wizards»), so I asked her to share her impressions.

How special «RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021»

Lina: Gina, what made this year’s exhibition special?

Gina: Last year the exhibition was canceled due to the pandemic, so this year it was awaited more than ever by all gardening enthusiasts. True, this time it was completely different from usual: for the first time in its 109-year history, it took place in autumn, instead of traditionally in spring. For the first time the exhibition was colored with beautiful autumnal tones.

Instead of the usual daisies, lupins and decorative garlic, visitors were presented with completely new autumn combinations with rudbeckia, echinacea, asters, dahlias, bell plants and especially popular plums.

It was a unique opportunity to see the gardens of the world’s most famous designers, adapted for autumn viewing.

The 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been painted in autumn colours. photo Gina Gajauskienė

Gina: This year, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show introduced two new categories: balcony gardens and container gardens. The emergence of these categories spreads an encouraging message to everyone, even those who do not have a piece of land.

At the exhibition there were studios of indoor plants, where you could get inspiration on how to use plants to create a certain interior style.

During the event, five designers presented city dwellers with examples of how to create a green oasis on a 10-square-meter balcony. Tricks were shared, such as using containers (pots) to create a garden where digging the soil is simply impossible due to poor soil or hard surfaces already installed.

Regarding the choice of containers, a trend has emerged: the reuse of materials. I’ve seen metal containers of various sizes, usually several left over from construction, that served as planters.

One of the most interesting solutions for me is to plant trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in 1m3 IBC containers cut at different heights. This is a long term solution, I would just suggest thinking about how to decorate the outside of the container. Wooden cladding mounted on a metal frame would look good.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 sets the trends

Lina: Gina, am I right in saying that the theme of ecology and sustainability was still very much felt at the fair?

Gina: It really is. It is impossible not to notice the theme of sustainability, present everywhere, from the materials used to the design solutions. During the event, how to use materials for longer, how to recycle or reuse them were demonstrated. It promotes the use of alternative and more sustainable materials and addresses the challenges we all face: climate change, abundance of plastic and pollution.

The Product of the Year Awards also set trends in sustainability. This year’s winners were vases made from discarded rope and fishing nets. Keep in mind that this winner also conveys a message of sustainability.

Research has estimated that there are 33 million gardeners and green space users in Britain alone. All these gardeners have a huge impact on the environment and can also help solve the problems of climate change. This is why so much attention is paid to the topic of biodiversity conservation.

Biodiversity is at the center of our courses”Naturalistic flower garden«, taught by Vaiva Marozienė. Join small groups or learn conveniently from the Internet. You will learn how to select plants in such a way as to create a sustainable ecosystem in your flower garden.

The winning gardens are a unified theme

Lina: The RHS Chelsea Flower Show culminates with the Best Show Gardens Awards. Who won this year and what does that tell us?

Gina: Four gardens won gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year: The M&G Garden, Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Trailfinders’ 50th Anniversary Garden and Guangzhou Garden. The latter also took home the “Best in Show 2021” award.

All these Golden Garden winners have one thing in common: they focus on ecology, biodiversity conservation and sustainability. And the inspiration to create them was taken from natural nature.

In these gardens the combination of three elements is evident: water, wildlife and urbanization. It was possible to see features of flowing water, streams, wetlands, wild flower meadows, lush vegetation – this is exactly what promotes biodiversity.

In one of the gardens (Yeo Valley Organic Garden), burnt logs are curiously incorporated, which also sends a certain message, highlighting the importance of soil health and returning carbon dioxide to the earth.

It also encourages consideration of urban planning: it highlights that climate change and the possible mass extinction of species require a re-evaluation of urban planning policies. This was perfectly reflected by another gold winner, The M&G Garden, which encourages discussion about urban green spaces being lost to mass development.

Popular plants of the exhibition

Lina: Gina, what plants attracted attention at the exhibit? After all, they also keep their own awards.

Gina: This time both this year’s and the entire decade’s plant awards took place.

Canadian cercis (Cercis canadensis) ‘Eternal Flame’ won the 2021 plant elections. It is a small tree, 3 m high and 2-3 m wide, which stands out for the color of its foliage throughout the entire growth period. The leaves also have three shades: dark red, orange and golden yellow. The plant is classified in the cold zone 5-9, so you can try to adapt it even in Lithuania.

Second place was taken by the ornamental garlic (Allium) ‘Lavender Bubbles’. Garlic, similar to the popular ‘Millenium’, is characterized by a darker purple color and later flowering: it delights with its flowers at the end of summer. The plant belongs to cold zone 4-8, so it would grow well in our region.

There was no shortage of ornamental garlic at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021. photo Gina Gajauskienė

Third place went to the majestic succulent (Semponium) ‘Sienna’. In Lithuania this plant would only be suitable in the house or on the balcony, as it resists cold only up to -4° C.

Lina: And who won the elections for the power plant of the decade?

Gina: The plant of the decade is the best of the best, one of the gold-winning plants of the last ten years. The winner is chosen by both the public and the president of the RHS Association.

Public choice — 2015 The plant of the year was chosen at the exhibition, Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Sunrise of Kilimanjaro’. It is a multi-stemmed, compact (3 m high and 1.5 m wide), slow-growing shrub with very well horizontal branches. From May to June this plant is covered with white, lace-like flowers, and in autumn it is decorated with red berries, which turn black during the winter season. Attributed to cold zone 5.

Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’, recognized as the 2010 plant of the year, was chosen by the president of the RHS Association. In Lithuania it can only be grown as a houseplant, since it belongs to cold zone 8.

Ideas for Lithuania from «RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021»

Lina: Gina, what ideas did you take home from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021? What trends could be applied in Lithuania?

Gina: The naturalistic style of the landscape, the theme of sustainability, the conservation of biodiversity has been the main theme of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for many years. I think the challenges of climate change will only strengthen these trends even more, and the naturalistic direction will not only remain for a long time, but will only become stronger.

How to apply exhibition trends in Lithuania?

Reduce lawn areas;
Creates the feeling of a wild meadow;
Use local plants;
Plant densely to maximize species diversity;
Use the water elements. Water not only brings a new dimension to the garden (reflections, movement, sound), but also attracts life.

I see great potential in the field of designing balconies, roofs, small «pocket» houses and courtyards of semi-detached houses. Even with a very small surface area we can create a green oasis and thus contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in our cities. I think this trend will become stronger every year.