For the first time in history a dog has got involved with designing a Garden at the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Monty Don’s beloved golden retriever, Ned, has played a key role in the creation of his owner’s RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden.
Monty, designer of the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, called on the helping paw of Ned to create some of the pathways that will feature within planting in his Garden at RHS Chelsea. The move ensures that dogs are integral to the design and highlights the symbiotic relationship between dogs and gardens.
Jamie Butterworth, who is creating the Garden with Monty, laid out the RHS and Radio 2 Dog Garden at his nursery, Form Plants near Woking, and Ned randomly ran through pots and plants to create the paths that will feature in the Garden.
Jamie Butterworth said: “To keep the garden as authentic as possible, Monty enlisted the help of Ned to design the paths that intersect through the planting. Ned followed his nose and forged the routes that we will now copy at the Show.
“We had imagined that Ned would create sweeps and curves through the planting, or at least that is what we had designed. However, every time he ran off, he returned to Monty via the same route, and as such we have changed the designs accordingly.
“So Ned actually designed not just part of the garden, but possibly the most detailed and complex aspect.”
The RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden is the first garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show to be designed by Gardeners’ World’s Monty Don, whose deep affection for dogs is widely known. Monty is creating the Garden with the team at Form Plants, led by Plant Expert and Horticulturist Jamie Butterworth.
Clare Matterson, RHS Director General, said: “We feel very lucky to have one of the nation’s best loved gardeners and one of the nation’s best loved dogs designing our RHS and Radio 2 Dog Garden at RHS Chelsea this year! As a nation of gardeners and nation of dog lovers we hope this garden makes people smile both when they hear about it and when they see it.
“With everything going on in the world today we wanted our garden at RHS Chelsea this year to be really uplifting and bring some much needed joy to everyone.”
With the nation’s dog owners wanting beautiful spaces for them and their furry friends; the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden will inspire the millions of dog lovers at home to create green havens for them and their pets. Monty wants the garden to be both an exemplar of all the things that dogs love regardless of horticultural fashion and a beautiful space that any dog owner would love.
Image of Ned courtesy of RHS/Ollie Dixon.
