Garden designer Ann-Marie Powelll is creating this year’s Octavia Hill garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. <\/p>
What would Octavia do? That\u2019s the question Ann-Marie Powell<\/a> asked herself in October 2022, when the National Trust chose her to create an exuberant, contemporary show garden inspired by Octavia Hill <\/a>(1838-1912), a founder of the charity. \u201cShe was a pioneer \u2013 a forward-thinking, energetic, positive, amazing woman who was leaps and bounds ahead of her time,\u201d says Ann-Marie. \u201cWay back in the late 19th century, she was championing green space for heart and mind for people who needed it.\u201d <\/p> You may also like:<\/strong> <\/p> With this in mind, the scheme is a community garden<\/a> created for an urban brownfield site, providing a place for people to come together and experience nature, as well as boost biodiversity<\/a> in the city. Built around the concept of \u2018open-air sitting rooms\u2019, it features seating areas with views across colourful, bright, pollinator-friendly<\/a> planting, including foxgloves<\/a> and geraniums<\/a>. <\/p> The main focal point is a large metal canopy \u2013 the one element keeping Ann-Marie up at night. \u201cThe structure is completely without foundations, so we are not using any concrete in the sub-base \u2013 it is cantilevered. There\u2019s a canopy for shade<\/a> and we\u2019re going to grow climbers up it for wildlife habitat.\u201d <\/p> Discover the full list of Show Gardens at Chelsea 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/p> It\u2019s an adventurous garden in other ways too, being split-level, with sloping paths accessible for wheelchair users or parents with a buggy, and it also features audio experiences for the visually impaired. Ann-Marie returns to the show after a hiatus of eight years. \u201cI\u2019ve done Chelsea <\/a>before but never had a large show garden, so that makes me nervous,\u201d she admits. \u201cI hope that if Octavia were alive today she would give our ideas a big tick.\u201d Designer Ann-Marie Powell. Sponsors Blue Diamond with The National Trust. <\/p>