The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope joins forces

With millions of people turning to gardening to lift their spirits and many of us hoping for better times to come, BBC’s The One Show and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), are joining forces to bring a garden of hope to the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show (21 – 26 September 2021).

‘The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope’, designed by award-winning Garden Designer and TV presenter Arit Anderson, will illustrate how gardening and growing plants provides hope and joy as we look forward to enjoying the fruits of our labour as our plants flourish and grow. 

‘The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope’ will live on after the September RHS Chelsea Flower Show at Mother and Baby Unit Rosewood, part of Kent and Medway NHS Social Care Partnership Trust, to provide a safe, beautiful sanctuary and place of hope for the women and their babies to spend time in.

Central to Arit’s design is a beautiful steam bent wooden sculpture, which twists and flows through the garden, incorporating seating areas, a child’s swing, and creating the feeling of a big hug. 

Arit has commissioned sculpture Charlie Whinney, one of the world leaders in using wood in innovative ways, to design and create the natural artwork, to be a key feature both at RHS Chelsea, as well as Rosewood, to provide both beautiful artwork within the space, as well as covered seating and safe places for the women, who are struggling with perinatal mental ill health, to use at the NHS Trust.

The One Show (BBC One, weekdays, 7pm) will be asking its viewers to contribute by submitting a word that sums up how their gardens have helped them overcome the challenges of the last year along with the story behind that word. Some of these words will then be inscribed into the wooden sculpture.

Arit is also embracing that the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be a moment in history, with it taking place in autumn and is selecting plants to celebrate and reflect the season.  The Garden will have a natural feel, with a number of trees, some turning with autumnal colours, and areas of dense rich green planting at the front of the garden, becoming more colourful as you walk through it.

Arit wants the garden to both feed the soul and, with it being a key harvest time, feed our bodies too with a selection of edible plants. 

Garden Designer Arit Anderson says:  “The most important part of this Garden is that it will end up at the Mother and Baby unit, so the whole design for RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been created around where the garden will end up, not where it will start.  Central to everything in it, is how I hope it will help those using it at Rosewood over the coming years.  I want it to provide the women with hope and be a place to relax in and feel nurtured in, in the way that only being immersed in nature can nurture you.”

The One Show presenter Alex Jones says: “One Show viewers have told us time and again how important their gardens have been to them over the last year and I am so excited that 'The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope’ will be able to reflect that, and that our viewers will be able to contribute inspirational words to the design. There will be loads of ideas for everyone to put into their own gardens too and we’ll be following the whole process, showing you exactly what goes into creating a beautiful garden at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show. I can’t wait to see it come to life.”

RHS Director of Gardens and Shows, Helena Pettit, says:  When you plant a bulb in autumn you are thinking of the tulip that will emerge in spring, when you plant a small tree you are thinking how over the years is will grow providing shade, privacy and a home for many wildlife. Growing plants helps provide hope for the future and makes the world a greener and more beautiful place.”

Award Winning Landscapers, Landform Consultants, will be building ‘The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope’ both at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and at the Rosewood Mother and Baby Unit.  Mark Gregory and his team will be working closely with Arit to bring both gardens to life.

‘The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope’ will be situated at the bottom of Main Avenue opposite the triangle, next to the RHS Hub at the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.