Gardening will Save the World

Designer Tom Dixon has teamed up with Ikea for a unique project at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Art and Design 22 May 2019

RHS Chelsea Flower Show is London’s annual horticultural extravaganza; where thousands of visitors and famous faces have flocked to admire traditional and avant-garde floral displays for nearly two centuries. But with the conversation surrounding sustainability, climate change and the future of farming more prevalent than ever before, some designers are pledging to do more than just put on a good show.

This year, award-winning designer Tom Dixon has teamed up with Swedish flat-pack furniture giant Ikea on an experimental garden model for growing plants in an urban environment. The model, which has the not-so-subtle title of ‘Gardening Will Save the World’, features a raised garden replete with medicinal and edible plants, which encourages visitors to ‘immerse themselves in a canopy-like ecosystem of trees, flowers and plants with medicinal, health and environmental benefits’. Underneath the canopy is a state-of-the-art horticultural lab showcasing the latest in hydroponic technology highlighting the sustainable, affordable and forward-thinking solutions for growing plants at home and beyond.

‘Gardening is unique in its universal appeal and its transformational power,’ says Dixon. ‘Without plants and more planting, we are all in trouble.’

RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 21-25 July 2019; rhs.org.uk; tomdixon.net