How young garden designers are tackling rising sea levels, long covid or carbon footprinting

Peaceful sanctuaries: Young Designers tackle the big issues at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2022

The world’s greatest flower show returns in spring with stunning garden designs, gorgeous floral displays and endless shopping.

The Young Designer of the Year competition makes a return in July at RHS Tatton Park where the next generation of garden designers, all aged under 28, will be tackling important topics such as rising sea levels, long covid and carbon footprinting.

The Young Designer Gardens can be seen at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park from 20-24 July.

The next generation of garden designers draw inspiration from the tumultuous events of recent years in a bid to claim the coveted RHS Young Designer of the Year at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2022.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park held at Tatton Park, near Knutsford, Cheshire, first began in 1999 by the Royal Horticultural Society. The show houses the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Young Designer of the Year Award and a wide range of inspirational show gardens, smaller ‘Back to Back’ gardens, visionary gardens and a number of marquees displaying prize plants and flora exhibits. Other key features of the show are the floral marquee and plant plaza, the arts and heritage pavilion, and the floral design studio.

Rising sea levels, long Covid, and carbon footprinting are just some of the topics tackled in the ambitious designs of the five finalists, all aged under 28.

Will Scholey (26, London) has designed the ideal work from home environment to promote a carbon negative commute to work. Naturalistic planting leads to a modern garden office and sustainable hard landscaping to help reduce the user’s carbon footprint.

Looking to provide healing and calming sanctuaries in hospitals, Rachel Platt (25, Buckinghamshire) and Alex Pettit (26, Northamptonshire) have designed spaces to aid recovery and stress relief for patients and NHS staff. Rachel’s ‘The Covid Recovery Garden’ features air purifying and remedial plants to create a restorative garden for those suffering from long Covid whilst Alex uses a protective shelter and reflecting pool in ‘Slow Down, Breathe Deep’ to provide a relaxation space for NHS staff to take a break in.

Taking inspiration from her Anglo-Guyanese roots, Emma Tipping (28, London), uses a vibrant planting selection to create a fun atmosphere whilst also reflecting on rising sea levels, an issue affecting both the Guyanese and British coastlines.

Also taking inspiration from abroad, Tom Clarke (22, North Yorkshire) uses palms and cypress trees to evoke the spirit of Morocco and create a peaceful sanctuary in ‘Paradise Found.’

Lex Falleyn, show manager for RHS Tatton Park, said: “We are really excited to see the ideas of these five young designers come to life at RHS Tatton Park this year. It’s impressive to see how they have used their garden designs to highlight global issues affecting people and the planet. We hope they inspire the next generation of gardeners to come and see the show and to try horticulture as a hobby or a future career.”

2022 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park runs from 20-24 July, 2022.