Sustainable biodiversity blooms at this years’ RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

by Bethany Vann | 26 Apr 23 | Featured Slider, Garden Design, Nature & Biodiversity, News, Sustainability, Topics

Gardens at this years’ Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival will showcase the latest in sustainable biodiverse solutions in response to the climate crisis.

Reclaimed by Nature

Award-winning designer Jo Thompson and her team have created a striking wildlife sanctuary depicting an urban corridor reclaimed by nature.

The garden represents wildlife’s resilience and ability to thrive in the unlikeliest of places such as abandoned urban areas or industrial landscapes.

Thompson is keen to feature hawthorn as a star species for wildlife. Hawthorn in blossom is recognised as a harbinger of spring, providing food for pollinators while the dense spiky branches are ideal for bird nests.

Kate Bradbury, wildlife gardener has lent her expertise to the project by implementing a variety of plants beneficial to the wellbeing of wildlife.

Research has shown that many species of insect, including butterflies, suffered from the soaring temperatures and drought of summer 2022. The Wildlife Garden design is in direct response to this problem, with much of the planting being drought tolerant, providing wildlife with food and cooler spots to rest even in extreme heat.

Drought tolerant plants that will feature prominently include the purple baubles of Angelica sylvestris ‘Vicar’s Mead’ and the delicate yellow-leaved tree, Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’.

Wildlife Garden Concept Art. Credited to The Royal Heritage Society

Reimagining Rainwater

Tom Massey, presenter of BBC Two’s Your Garden Made Perfect has designed the Resilient Garden set to be featured at the RHS Flower Festival at Hampton Court.

The garden is being built by Landscapes Associates, transforming a once environmentally and aesthetically displeasing domestic plot into a biodiverse garden resilient to climate change.

The goal of the garden is to educate and inform visitors on how they can implement water-saving changes to their gardens without detriment to their space.

As concerns surrounding water shortages in Britain increase, ACO, a global supplier of surface water drainage systems is partnering with the RHS and Massey to reimagine and repurpose rainwater as a resource for positive use.

Domestic practice still tends to discharge rainwater runoff into storm drains, while drinking-quality water that is in short supply is used in both the kitchen and the garden.

Domestic rainwater management is central to the RHS Resilient Garden, showcasing a multitude of ACO’s innovative water drainage solutions such as:

ACACO’s Groundguard: stabilises gravel to create access and allow rainwater into the ground.
ACO’s Roofbloxx: creates reservoirs in green roofs and rainwater planters, slowing water’s journey through the property and plants to evaporate and lower temperatures in the surrounding area.
ACO’s RainDrain and ACO’s StormBrixx: Feeds rainwater into the show garden for people and wildlife and dispersed on-site rather than into the sewerage system.

Peter Ridgway, brand development director from ACO House and Garden says: “We’re thrilled to be working with the RHS and Tom Massey to expand the conversation on rainwater in our homes. We all know water is an issue of increasing national importance but struggle to achieve solutions that benefit both our own homes and the wider eco-system.”