9 reasons to visit the Chelsea Flower Show this year
Image: Luxurious Magazine
At Dr Jackson’s, nature is at the heart of everything we do. Our products have been developed using the purest plant-based ingredients, and the health and future of our planet is a key consideration at every stage of our production chain. This is why we’re incredibly excited to attend this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a glorious celebration of our natural world and the beautiful species that inhabit it.
Held since 1912, The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show is one of the most famous flower and garden shows in the world. Every year in May, a group of talented designers descends on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea to build their own unique show garden in just 19 days. Nearly 157,000 people visit the gardens each year, and the exhibits compete for a number of prestigious awards.
This year, the Chelsea Flower Show will take place from 23rd-27th May. 2017’s exhibits promise to be more innovative, thought-provoking and beautiful than ever before, so we’ve hand-picked the gardens you won’t want to miss:
Professor Nigel Dunnett’s ‘Greening Grey Britain’ garden will weave its way in and out of life size high-rise buildings, demonstrating how plants can thrive even in the most restricted urban spaces. Look out for the ‘edible meeting table’ and the Show’s first ever display of colourful street art.
2. City Living
Kate Gould’s ‘City Living’ explores similar themes, creating usable and inviting urban gardens that highlight the importance of green spaces, both for our own sense of wellbeing and that of the environment. Retreat into the shade of tropical, leafy plants and be soothed by the tranquil sounds of the water feature.
3. Mind Trap
An open and understanding dialogue around mental health is something we’re very supportive of at Dr Jackson’s, so we applaud Ian Price’s ‘Mind Trap’, a physical manifestation of the designer’s personal experience of depression. Metal walls represent the sense of imprisonment that often comes with this illness, while the sunny and vibrant area beyond shows the life that could be enjoyed once the right help and measures of self-care have been taken.
In ‘Breaking Ground’, Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam aim to raise awareness around the endangered heathland surrounding Wellington College, illustrating the connectivity that enables ecosystems to flourish with the sculptural walls and rills that run through the structure.
We’re incredibly passionate about educating younger generations on the value of the natural world from the get-go, so this year’s Discovery Zone is after our own hearts! Both little ones and older ones can immerse themselves in a series of sensory environments and interactive displays to learn about everything plants can do for us, from battling life-threatening diseases to improving our psychological health.
We may be a skincare brand, but we know that what you put into your body is just as important as what you put on it. Designed by Jon Wheatley and inspired by Mary Berry, Chris Evans’s Taste Garden showcases the UK’s delicious and diverse range of natural ingredients, with a special focus on plants that enhance health and wellbeing.
Smell can be one of our most powerful and evocative senses, as the Jo Whiley Scent Garden, designed in collaboration with Jo Malone, demonstrates. Unlock childhood memories with the scent of woodland walks or let the soothing aroma of fresh-cut flowers wash over you and restore your inner peace.
Designed by Ruth Willmott, The Breast Cancer Now garden imagines a group of scientists looking through the microscope in their groundbreaking research to cure breast cancer. Three vertical circles represent microscope lenses, while planting schemes mimic cell formations, showing the different stages of the disease.
No surprises as to why this one’s a favourite at Dr Jackson’s! Seedlip’s conceptual garden recreates a 17th-century apothecary, meaning our products would look right at home. A tribute to the healing properties of plants, symbolic oak housing and laboratory-style benches will be surrounded by botanicals used in ancient - and modern-day - herbal medicine.