In response to a flourishing trend of urban gardening and an increased interest in horticulture among city dwellers, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is set to launch the United Kingdom’s maiden fully indoor flower show. Geared toward individuals residing in metropolitan areas with limited access to outdoor expanses, this novel event is scheduled for the upcoming year.
Scheduled for April, the exposition, an extension of the renowned Chelsea Flower Show, will endeavor to captivate a fresh cohort of gardening enthusiasts who may have been deterred from the botanical domain due to spatial constraints. While the Chelsea Flower Show flourishes within the serene and verdant environs of the Royal Hospital gardens, this innovative exhibition will unfold within Manchester’s disused rail station, Depot Mayfield, a locale known for hosting the Warehouse Project superclub.
Renovating the Depot Mayfield into an “urban grower’s paradise,” the RHS aspires to kindle gardening fervor among city inhabitants. This transformation will manifest in an industrial, urban, indoor setting, fostering an immersive experience tailored to urbanites.
With the express objective of encouraging broader engagement in gardening, particularly among those restricted by limited green expanse, the show aims to illustrate imaginative and aesthetically pleasing methods of embracing horticulture within compact urban domains. The content of the event is currently under development, affording cultivators and exhibitors the opportunity to participate.
The showcase’s orchestrators have divulged that the exhibit will encompass features such as ingenious designs for modest city spaces, encompassing techniques such as vertical gardening and urban farming. Attendees can anticipate immersive plant installations, interactive gardening workshops, and an array of plant nurseries offering houseplants and varieties suitable for confined spaces.
Helena Pettit, the RHS Director of Gardens and Shows, underscored the upsurge in gardening enthusiasm, particularly among the younger urban demographic. The choice of Manchester as the host city stemmed from the significant strides taken to enhance its green quotient. Despite being challenged by limited green area, Manchester has witnessed the transformation of a viaduct into a “sky park,” and the inauguration of a city center public park, the first in a century.
Pettit remarked, “There is so much great work already happening across the city to make it greener and we are excited to help support this growing movement. We want to get even more people living in the UK’s second-largest city inspired to grow plants and connect to the natural world. With over 80% of the UK population living in towns and cities, the new show will enable more urban dwellers to garden, especially where access to green spaces can be limited.”
Traditionally characterized by extravagant show gardens replete with lavish water features and stunning floral arrangements more suited for spacious landscapes, flower shows have evolved to incorporate inclusivity. Recent iterations of the Chelsea Flower Show featured a balcony gardening competition, urging designers to epitomize gardening in confined spaces. Past editions included segments dedicated to houseplants and succulents. Additionally, the show gardens have transitioned to schools and hospitals, extending their appeal to individuals devoid of ample green area at home.
