Plot to Plate Garden for RHS Chelsea

Savills returns to Chelsea (22nd to 27th May 2023) to sponsor a show garden with a design that speaks to the firm’s commitment to promoting sustainable employment.

‘The Savills Garden‘ will be designed by award-winning designer, Mark Gregory, showcasing a combined ornamental and edible planting design, providing inspiration for ‘pot-to-plate’ alfresco dining. The garden design will incorporate the show’s first ever working kitchen and is designed to evoke the experience of stepping into the intimate walled-garden, seasonal potager setting of a country hotel, providing both a sanctuary and a source of the very best in flavour and nutrition.

The kitchen will feature at the heart of the garden with an adjoining dining area. The design allows for visitors to rest under a mature tree, taking time to reconnect with nature, enjoying the formal planting, while anticipating the tasting experience to come.

Following the show, Savills will work with the national charity Shaw Trust which supports people facing disadvantage to find a way into fulfilling work and to build a strong sense of wellbeing, to relocate the garden in Nottinghamshire for their residents to enjoy.

Savills are also working with existing charity partner Rethink Food, an organisation focused on educating school children on food security, to share learnings from the garden.

Richard Rees, Managing Director at Savills, comments: “We are excited to be returning to Chelsea with a garden design that touches on so many themes that are core to the future success of our industry and gives us the opportunity to bring to life our commitment to promoting sustainable development.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of nature in our lived environment, whether in an urban or rural setting, and Mark Gregory, five times Chelsea Gold Medal winner, has designed a garden that will be both stunning to the eye and packed full of learnings for us all.

“I look forward to seeing the garden relocated post show in conjunction with the Shaw Trust, an organisation committed to challenging inequality and breaking down barriers to enable social mobility. We also welcome the opportunity to further develop our employee engagement with Rethink Food, and to exploring with them issues around food production and food miles,
sustainability and the learning and sharing of knowledge.”

Designer and founder at Landform Consultants, Mark Gregory, commented that he is incredibly proud to have designed this garden for Savills: “I think that it will speak to a lot of people and has, at its core, elements that are very close to my heart; a beautiful space, created considerately, that brings people together to enjoy fantastic food and great times. The garden will be a feast both for the eyes and for the palette, demonstrating that productive gardens can be both elegant and delightful.”

Mark has been at the forefront of the horticultural and landscaping industry for the past 35 years and 2023 will see him mark his 34th consecutive year at RHS Chelsea. In that time Mark has managed and delivered close to 200 show gardens and exhibits with over 100 being at Chelsea. He has personally designed six gardens and is the winner of five gold medals at Chelsea with his 2018 Welcome to Yorkshire garden was voted BBC People’s Choice Garden of the Decade in 2020.

Photo credits: Garden image ©Mark Gregory