Savills is set to sponsor a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 (22 to 27 May 2023), designed by award-winning garden designer Mark Gregory, with a garden design that speaks to the firm’s commitment to promoting sustainable development.
The Savills Garden will showcase combined ornamental and edible planting, providing inspiration for ‘plot-to-plate’ alfresco dining experience to be showcased in the show’s first ever working kitchen. It has been 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 flavours and nutrition.
At the heart of the garden will be a working kitchen and adjoining dining area, where guests can enjoy meals prepared with ingredients from the potager and walled garden beyond, cementing the relationship between grower, guests and chef.
The concept 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. The aim will be to help change the way we think about our gardens, the way we eat and source our food, and to share ideas and knowledge that can be introduced into even the smallest spaces.
Following the show, in keeping with its sustainability commitment, Savills will work with the national charity Shaw Trust, that supports people facing disadvantage to find a way into fulfilling work and to build a strong sense of personal wellbeing, to relocate the garden. It will be replanted at Meadow View House in Nottinghamshire for their residents to enjoy.
Additionally, Savills will work 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.”
Mark Gregory, garden designer and founder at Landform Consultants, comments: “I am 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.”
