Brewin Dolphin returns to RHS Chelsea

A garden designed to showcase how a former 1900s brownfield site can be transformed with the tenets of sustainability at its heart, is the theme of sponsor Brewin Dolphin’s 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden. Designed by award-winning garden designer, Paul Hervey-Brookes, the garden will demonstrate how it’s possible to rehabilitate such a plot to create a new environmentally sustainable landscape.

With thousands of new homes set to be built on brownfield sites over the coming years, the garden will reflect the challenge of inheriting poor soil conditions that many British homeowners will face.

The emphasis will be on reusing existing materials found within the site such as recycled aggregates and showcase a range of plants which actively restore polluted soil. The planting is based on a mix of native pioneer species alongside endemic plants which rehabilitate soils and clean air through CO2 absorption and demonstrates how through careful guardianship it is possible to transform contaminated land and leave it in a healthier, more sustainable condition for future generations.

Paul will use a range of repurposed materials such as reclaimed and sustainably sourced bricks, Welsh slate paving and pre-treated straw walls. A pool, edged in Welsh slate, will collect and alleviate the risk of flooding from high volume rainfall events which are increasingly common with the effects of climate change.

Garden-worthy shrubs and perennials which don’t require a lot of maintenance or are in flower for longer periods of time add nectar banks and habitat potential for pollinating bees and other insects.

Paul (pictured left) points out that the Brewin Dolphin Garden is a metaphor for prudent stewardship and custodianship: “I want to illustrate that no matter the type of space we might inherit – even the most challenging of urban settings, where top soil is removed or contaminated by heavy irons – it is possible, through the selection of appropriate plants to rehabilitate any area, creating a garden of beauty and leave it thriving for future generations to enjoy,” he says.

The garden also includes a small, dedicated space for edibles, with a variety of fruits, herbs and vegetables – chosen to demonstrate the idea of the ‘best use of space in an urban setting’.

Development director at Brewin Dolphin and chairman of the National Garden Scheme, Rupert Tyler, is delighted that they are back at RHS Chelsea: “Paul has designed such a thoughtful garden that demonstrates how even the most urban of sites can be transformed in a sustainable and low impact way for the benefit of the environment.

“Investing for your future, whether in your garden or in your personal finances is something that should be sustainable; leaving the next generation to inherit something that you can both be proud of. There are clear synergies between taking care of, and regularly tending to a garden and taking care of your long-term wealth. Both require diligence and smart advice in order to flourish and grow so that you end up in a better position than when you started.”

After the show, Paul will be designing a garden at the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, Christopher’s in Guildford, for the enjoyment of children and their families who are supported there and he will use the remaining plants and furniture. Some of the plants will also be sold off with the proceeds going to the charity which is supported by Brewin Dolphin.

This year marks a decade of Brewin Dolphin’s long association with the RHS, having created many award-winning gardens at both RHS Chelsea and RHS Chatsworth Flower Shows.

RHS Chelsea runs from 24th to 28th May 2022. For further information on the Brewin Dolphin Garden visit www.paulherveybrookes.com/rhschelsea2022

Image: Garden design ©Paul Hervey-Brookes, photo of Paul ©Reckless Gardener.