Wildflower meadow in a planter

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013 saw a number of planters designed – the content, so to speak, not the planters themselves – by garden celebrities. This was one of them.

Designed with bees and pollinators in mind this planter design shows that every garden, however small, can have a small plot, as in pot, of wildflowers to attract bees and pollinators who then will also come and pollinate the crops, hopefully.

Designed by Jekka McVicar the planter is entitled “wild flowers contained” and it says that this planter was specifically designed to attract birds, bees and butterflies.

Such a wildflower planter will work in any stetting and would not look out of place in formal gardens, parks, and in towns.

The planter “Wild flowers contained” can be found in the Ecover inspire zone and inspirational it is – the planter I am referring to – as are a number of others.

© 2013

A Moveable Feast at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

This edible garden has been inspired by the Army Wives and is designed to be transported wherever they get relocated, making use of inexpensive, colorful containers.

It was designed by Kate Turner, sponsored by Surrey Heath Borough Council, The Mall Camberley, and Cala Homes and built by Surrey Heath Borough Council Greenspace Team.

The planting scheme features the ingredients needed for a feast, whilst a river of yellow planting symbolizes the ribbon of hope used by military families when a loved one is away on active (combat) duty.

The garden is a representation of the Flourish Community Garden ‘Grow your own’ course, which combines a passion for growing edibles with encouraging community support. The garden reflects the constant relocation of military families and their need to feel uplifted and hopeful whenever a loved one is away. It is also the kind of garden that could be built at operating bases in foreign fields.

This was the first, and to some extent only, show garden that caught my attention and the Silver Medal it was awarded is well deserved indeed. It is an idea that can be replicated by anyone with almost anything anywhere and thus makes for a great example and show garden.

© 2013

The Changing Environment: Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Destruction, regeneration and the impact of man on the environment are key topics represented in the Conceptual Garden category at this year's RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

With the impact and causes of our changing environment at the forefront of many recent debates, the 2013 Conceptual Gardens provide a forum for an artistic and innovative look at the consequences of waste and over-use of natural resources, natural disasters and nature's self-restoration process.

Hoping to stimulate people's imaginations and emotions, Caroline Tait and John Esling have designed a garden featuring a multi-faceted mass of fridges arranged to reflect the form of an iceberg. The garden is intended to provoke thought and make something beautiful from discarded building blocks of consumer society. The design recalls roadside ‘fridge mountains'; symbolic of society's wastefulness with resource, and conjures up an iceberg, cold and unwelcoming, but iconic of global warming and our role in promoting it.

Benedict Green makes his debut at the show with a garden that encourages the use of an alternative to water-worn limestone in garden settings. The rare habitats of British limestone pavements were heavily quarried for rock gardens until recent protection was put in place. Benedict's garden is a conceptual abstraction where the shapes are formed using concrete from more sustainable limestone aggregate. It demonstrates a sustainable alternative to bringing a limestone pavement into a garden setting.

Luc Arek will exhibit a rectangular garden, growing a selection of vegetables surrounded on three sides by climbing vegetables and trained fruit trees. One side of the garden will feature a seated human figure who is reflecting his/her work while breathing in the purified air created through plant photosynthesis. The garden is designed to emphasise how, by producing our own crops, we can be self-supporting, as well as contribute to purifying the atmosphere and drawing attention to the continued loss of allotment land for building.

‘The Desolation of Smaug and Beyond', designed by Catherine Macdonald, explores the effects of forest fire and the subsequent new growth. The garden features abstract use of forms, colours and structures to represent the desolation and regeneration phases of this devastating event.

Jon Tilley's garden design is based on a giant grass claw rising from the earth and gouging the ground. The idea being that at times of natural disaster such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and tsunamis it is almost as if the Earth self-harms and wounds herself. The claws, which are created out of sculptural dry stone, leave behind blood-red flowers and plants that seem to ooze from the soil.

Bruce Waldock's garden promotes the activities of The Conservation Foundation and in particular the major replanting programme ‘Great British Elm Experiment'. Cuttings have been taken from parent trees that have survived the various waves of Dutch elm disease, and the resulting saplings are being grown on and monitored by schoolchildren, community groups, farmers and private individuals across the UK. The garden portrays an apocalyptic scene, but from the devastation, a spiralling glade of new growth emerges.

Each garden will engage the curious minded and will display an innovative approach to horticulture.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Garden celebrities design planters for RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013

Gardeners will have their chance to create their own designer planting plots, as eight gardening personalities have teamed up with Ecover UK to design inspirational planters for this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (9-14 July). The plots will be on display at the show, and the exclusive planting plans will be available to download from http://www.rhs.org.uk/Ecover-Planters

Award winning garden designers including Annie Guilfoyle, Adam Frost, Anne Marie-Powell, growers Pippa Greenwood and Jekka McVicar as well as garden designers and broadcasters James Alexander-Sinclair, Toby Buckland and Matthew Wilson have designed a range of beautiful 1m2 and 2m2 planting plans, which will be planted up and displayed within the Inspire zone, sponsored by Ecover, Following the show, these planters will be donated to a number of community-based projects.

Each planter has its own unique style, with many using plants to attract wildlife, which is a prominent theme throughout this year’s show;

Ann-Marie Powell “I’ve designed a planter highlighting the diversity of plants. All the plants are edible perennials. Birds, bees, insects and even humans can feast not only their eyes, but their tastebuds too. I like to think of it as a forage-fest for the show”.

Adam Frost “All the plants in my bee-friendly planter have been chosen for their nectar-rich properties. The cardoon provides structure with its architectural leaves, while Dahlia merckii is a single-flowered type, which is easier for bees to feed from. Nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ and Geranium ‘Rozanne’ provide softness to the planting and is a deep violet-blue, a colour that bees and butterflies find irresistible”.

Annie Guilfoyle “My planter consists of dark foliage shrubs as they provide such a wonderful backdrop for other strong colours. The combination of blue and brown plants is a personal favourite of mine”.

Pippa Greenwood “I've been growing veg since I was young and am keen to promote Grow Your Own, even in the smallest garden. My planter is filled with great veg that you can grow in a fairly small space, not only does it taste great but it looks stunning too”.

Jekka McVicar “I have specifically designed my planter to attract birds, bees and butterflies.  The flowers will appear from early summer through until early autumn; so providing nectar for many pollinating insects”.

Matthew Wilson “The inspiration for my planter is the grasslands around where I grew up, on the North Downs in Kent, but using garden plants to tell the story rather than wild species”.

Toby Buckland “My ‘Honey Pot' planter contains a blend of long-flowering herbaceous perennials that look good all summer and are loved by the bees. At the centre is a bespoke metal urn that doubles as a support for annual climbers”.

James Alexander-Sinclair “A planter can be subtle, sophisticated, blaring or productive but, whichever way you go it should always be joyful. My design, filled with grass and vibrant colours of pink, yellow and purple does precisely that”.

This year for the first time RHS Hampton Court Palace will be divided into three zones; Grow, Escape and Inspire featuring gardens, plants, food and shopping that reflect their individual themes. Keen gardeners will love Grow, where they will find nurseries, plants stalls, potting bench demonstrations, and stands selling the very best in gardening equipment. In Escape visitors will find the Country Living Magazine Pavilion, learn how to ‘grow their own’ fruit and veg, marvel at the show’s famous roses and floristry and sample the delights of the Artisan Food Producers in the Great Tastes Marquee. In keeping with the show’s reputation for breaking boundaries in contemporary garden design, the third zone, Inspire, sponsored by Ecover, focuses on innovation and making the most of outside space.

Within the Inspire zone is The Ecover Garden, by award-winning designer Matthew Childs, who won an RHS Gold medal for his Conceptual Garden at last year’s show. The Ecover Garden champions sustainability and highlights ways in which we can aid the recovery of our aquatic environments. Ecover has also commissioned artist Ptolemy Elrington to create a sculpture of a giant bee made from recycled metal and plastics. The sculpture made its debut at Glastonbury festival before becoming a focal point in the Inspire zone at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Pop ups, pollinators and reused products at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013

At this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (9-14 July) many of the gardens are promoting the use of plants for pollinators, grow your own and the reuse of materials in a creative way, while others highlight the ‘pop-up’ trend bringing make-shift gardens to the show.

Planting to attract wildlife is a prominent theme at this year’s show with many gardens using plants as a food source for pollinating insects as a key element. Surrey Garden’s ‘Bugs in Boots’, for example promotes ecological gardening within the Low Cost, High Impact category. By using plants from the RHS Perfect for Pollinators list designer, Caspian Robertson, demonstrates how intelligent planting within a garden can provide both sustenance and a maintainable living environment for a wide range of insects.

Continuing the theme, Victoria Truman and Liz Rentzsch Garden Design have designed the ‘Hot Stuff Garden’ which, drawing inspiration from Christopher Lloyd’s sub-tropical garden at Great Dixter, encapsulates a planting palette for bees and wildlife. While the flowering annuals and herbaceous plants of the meadow in Mariko Naka’s Spirits of the Land garden provide a food source for pollinating insects and the range of grasses a habitat for insect and animal species to live in.

In addition to the gardens, the Show has a number of exciting wildlife features dedicated to bees and butterflies including the RHS Butterfly Dome with Eden, which contains 3,000 tropical butterflies, the largest exhibited collection in the UK, while an exhibit built especially for their native cousins will be situated outside. There will also be a ‘Bee Garden’ feature bursting with nectar and pollen-rich plants to entice bumble, honey and solitary bees.

Many designers are using simple, sustainable ideas, such as using recycled waste products in their garden features to highlight environmental issues. ‘The Ecover Garden’, designed by Matthew Childs will include strips of recycled plastic woven in with the garden’s planting to inspire consumers to consider the environmental impact of the products and plastics they use. Designer Bayley LuuTomes’ garden ‘The Native Shower’ uses recycled glass bottles to transfer water into the garden and provide irrigation while the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ Conceptual Garden includes a collection of old fridges, some used as planters, arranged in the form of an iceberg to symbolise society’s wastefulness.

A number of this year’s gardens also contain edible planting ideas, demonstrating that growing your own products can be not only delicious and practical but also a stylish choice of garden feature. Examples of this include Kate Turner’s ‘Moveable Feast’, a garden inspired by the transistory lives of Army Wives, which will contain herbs, vegetables and fruits, including many interesting varieties such as cucamelons, tomatillos and quinoa and the ‘Jardin du Gourmet’ garden which includes a sunken area dedicated to harvesting food.

Both the ‘Jardin du Gourmet’ and ‘Moveable Feast’ gardens demonstrate that the pop up trend is spreading to the gardening world. Designed as reusable gardens, which can be assembled and dismantled with ease, they are built for purpose and allow gardens to be brought into any kind of space. Sophie Walker’s ‘A Valley Garden’ also follows this trend. A vibrant, green oasis inspired by John Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, it is designed as a ‘pop-up’ installation that can feature a different planting scheme each time it is remade.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Britain’s threatened wildlife championed at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Gardens celebrated as key nature reserves

The RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, 9 – 14 July, will champion Britain’s threatened bees and butterflies and show gardeners how they can help support these vital insects.

Over the past 50 years many groups of British insects have been in decline, including some of the common butterflies, moths, hoverflies and bees. Part of the problem may be the reduction in the abundance of wildflowers in the countryside that has occurred over this period. With the loss of traditional sources of food, gardens are increasingly being recognised as an important habitat where insects can find sources of nectar and pollen.

RHS Head of Science, Alistair Griffiths, said: “Gardens are a massively important refuge for wildlife and we know that what we grow in our individual gardens and how we manage them can have a big impact on pollinating insects.

“To help gardeners understand the practical, everyday difference they can make to the plight of pollinators the RHS is introducing a major bees and butterflies area at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show with gardens to show visitors the impact they can make while celebrating these amazing insects.”

Highlights include:
Native Butterfly Garden – Butterfly Jungle
350 British butterflies will fly freely among a rich combination of pollinator friendly plants in Butterfly Jungle’s Native Butterfly Garden. The garden illustrates the ease with which gardeners can create mini-meadow reserves to help sustain butterflies.

Iconic British breeds, including Red Admirals, Peacocks and Painted Lady, will be housed in a purpose built transparent enclosure, so visitors can observe the butterflies at work.

The planting is specifically tailored to appeal to British, native butterflies including combinations of herbaceous plants, shrubs and wildflowers. Several varieties of Buddleja will be mixed with Black and Greater Knapweed, Red Clover, Verbena rigida, Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ and more than 40 other plants.

Paul Allen from Butterfly Jungle says: “The aim of the garden is to encourage more people to integrate butterfly friendly elements within their gardens. We hope that by seeing butterflies close up we will capture the imagination of visitors and inspire them to create habitats for these wonderful insects.”

The Bee Garden - Rachel Parker-Soden
The plight of solitary, bumble and honey bees is the focus of the Bee Garden, which looks at the role those with very small gardens can play in the fight to save the bees.

The garden will illustrate the impact of planting a mix of nectar rich plants that not only flower in summer, but that also provide early and late food sources for bees, especially as some bumble bee species can now be seen foraging during winter. It will also demonstrate how gardeners can create essential nesting environments for the different types of bees by leaving an area with deadwood or by drilling holes in logs, or by putting out hollow plant stems such as bamboo canes, cardboard or paper tubes.

Bugs in Boots - Caspian Robertson
The ‘Bugs in Boot’s’ garden aims to create an ecological space for insects, birds and other wildlife, recognising extreme weather conditions and the impact they have on wildlife.

With events like floods having a serious impact on gardens and insect habitats, the centre of the Bugs in Boots garden is designed to flood in heavy rainfall before slowly releasing the water into the soil. By storing the water, rather than flooding other areas of the garden, this slow-release design reduces the strain on overburdened water systems during times of intense rainfall, and protects the rest of the garden environment.

Designer Caspian Robertson created his eco-garden by using a combination of plants drawn from the RHS Perfect for Pollinators list of nectar and pollen rich plants that can sustain insects.

The Bee House - The British Beekeepers Association
The British Beekeepers Association has teamed up with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to raise the profile of managed honeybees and wild bumblebees and highlight the vital role gardeners can play in the battle to help pollinators.

Interactive activities will help visitors deepen their understanding of the mysterious life of bees and learn about the differences between honey and bumblebees. Practical advice will be available on the best bee-friendly flowers to plant to attract and sustain bees.

Products derived from bees, including honey and beeswax, will be on display and visitors will be able to try their hand at the age-old tradition of candle making.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Secret Meanings of Flowers Uncovered at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

From the withered hope of an anemone, to the burning lust of a cactus, the RHS is exploring the hidden language of flowers in a new exhibition at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, 9 – 14 July

Illustrated by works from the RHS Lindley Library’s collection of botanical art, the exhibition will chart the history of this influential craze through the literature, board games, greetings cards and other ephemera it spawned.

The concept of flowers having meanings has been established since Elizabethan times, with references in Shakespeare’s writing, but reached the height of its popularity in France, Britain and America between the 1820s and 1880s. Its influence can be seen in the literature, art and poetry of the period with the Brontës, Austen, the Romantic Poets, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and more using it in their works.

Fiona Davison, RHS Head of Libraries and Exhibitions, said: “The secret language of flowers is something which has intrigued society for centuries, and allowed messages to be passed between lovers without alerting prying eyes. In fact, some ‘meanings’ show a surprisingly passionate side, like the gift of a seemingly unromantic cactus concealing the message of ‘I burn for you’ as the spines of the cactus are as hard to remove from the skin as the flames of cupid are to extinguish from the heart.

“Despite its lasting influence however, this secret code has a rather dubious history. Many meanings differ wildly according to their source, so receiving a bouquet of hydrangeas could mean you are ‘heartless’ or ‘courageous’.

“Whatever its origin, the language of flowers still captures our imagination today and is now so rooted in the social consciousness that even the flowers chosen for the wedding bouquet of the Duchess of Cambridge were selected for their ‘meanings.”

This selection of flowers sends some surprising messages:

Positive messages
• Red rose: Love
• Tuberose: Voluptuousness, or I have seen a lovely girl
• Cactus: I burn for you
• Almond: Hope
• Hibiscus: Beauty, or Enduring
• Peach blossom: I am your captive, or Your charms are unequalled

Negative messages
• Anemones: Withered hope
• Rhododendrons: Beware
• Fig: Discord
• Passionflower: Superstition
• Pumpkin: Bulk, or Grossness
• Marigold: Mental anguish, or Indifference

Ambiguous messages
• Cattleya: Mature charms
• Calceolaria: I offer you pecuniary assistance
• Bindweed: Insatiability, Inconstancy, Extinguished hope, Obstinacy or Humility
• Blackberry: Jealousy, or Remorse

The Language of Flowers exhibition at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show will be accompanied by themed flower arrangements, each with their own hidden meaning. To book tickets, or for more information visit www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt

Dr Brent Elliott, the RHS Historian, will also be giving a talk on the rise and fall of the language of flowers at the Lindley Library London at Vincent Square on 16 July. Tickets for the talk £7 RHS members, £10 non-members. Booking ref 10406.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

RHS and Eden Project bring a butterfly-filled rainforest to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

The Royal Horticultural Society and the Eden Project are to create the UK’s largest butterfly rainforest experience at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (9 – 14 July).

The RHS Butterfly Dome with Eden is a re-creation of Eden’s world-famous Rainforest Biome in a 25m diameter, 9m high dome. Visitors will be plunged into the heart of a steamy jungle on an elevated walkway surrounded by tropical palms, trees, climbers and orchids.

While exploring this rich, diverse habitat, people will be able to spot the magnificent shapes and colours of 3,000 tropical butterflies - the largest exhibited collection in the UK including some unusual varieties such as the Blue Morpho and Owl butterflies.

There will be the chance to see the butterflies sipping from nectar plants and feeding stations throughout the garden. Visitors will also have the opportunity to witness young butterflies emerge from their chrysalises in a viewing cage.

Mandy Almond, RHS Hampton Show Manager, said: “Bringing the UK’s largest butterfly rainforest experience to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is an extremely exciting and challenging project, which will create a truly tropical spectacle for visitors at this year’s Show. The Dome will give visitors the chance to see the life-cycle of this remarkable insect and marvel at the astounding variety of shapes and colours they display.”

Paul Stone, Eden’s Landscape Manager and designer of the Dome, said: “The Dome will bring Eden to the biggest flower show in the world, offering visitors the opportunity to walk through a forest canopy, surrounded by butterflies. The garden champions important messages about plants and people, biodiversity and sustainable environments. Both Eden and the RHS are passionate about raising awareness of these issues”.

The Eden Project will also be bringing its popular Freaky Nature family activities including viewing the fascinating microscopic world of bugs and beasties, getting up close and learning about the insect world. There will also be a butterfly-making workshop, where children can make butterflies which will be used as part of a display at Eden.

The RHS Butterfly Dome with Eden will be created to celebrate the June launch of the Eden Project’s new Rainforest Aerial Walkway and the introduction of nearly 20 species of tropical butterfly into the Rainforest Biome this summer.

The exhibit will form part of a Butterflies and Bees Area at the Show where visitors can learn about native plants and insects as well as tropical ones. The Native Butterfly Garden, by Butterfly Jungles, will create the ideal habitat to encourage butterflies into UK gardens. The garden will be fluttering with Peacocks, Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells and Commas feeding from flowering shrubs, wildflowers and garden plants. Complementing this will be a garden for bees. The Bee Garden is a haven for pollinators, bursting with ideas to tempt honey and solitary bees with nectar and pollen-rich plants. Both of these exciting gardens showcase many of the plants and flowers from the RHS Perfect for Pollinators list*.

Mandy continued: “As well as creating amazing sights and experiences for visitors, the Butterflies and Bees Area is all about sharing ideas and ways to support British pollinators. As so many of us are concerned about our bees and butterflies we’re sure The Native Butterfly Garden and The Bee Garden will be popular with visitors and will encourage growing plants and flowers from the RHS Perfect for Pollinators list.”

About RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (9 – 14 July 2013)

9 – 10 July RHS members only

11 – 14 July RHS members and non-members

9 – 13 July 10am – 7.30pm

14 July 10am – 5.30pm (sell off starts at 4.30pm)

Each full-paying adult may bring two children aged 16 and under free of charge to the show.

Tickets for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show are available in advance or on the gate. To buy tickets, visit www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt or by calling 0844 338 7506.

*RHS Perfect for Pollinators

The RHS Perfect for Pollinators list identifies those plants that will benefit bees and other pollinating insects by providing pollen and nectar from early Spring to late Autumn. By planting a broad range of appropriate plants gardeners can encourage and sustain pollinating insects which, in turn, will attract other forms of wildlife, such as birds and hedgehogs, into gardens.

For the full list of Perfect for Pollinator plants, go to www.rhs.org.uk/perfectforpollinators

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Ecover showcases sustainable plastics in garden design at 2013 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

The threat posed to UK coastal and inland waterways by the careless disposal of plastic has inspired the design of the Ecover garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (9 – 14 July). Designed by Matthew Childs, the garden uses strips of sustainably sourced plastic, which are woven in with the garden’s planting, to highlight the need to save our rivers, lakes and oceans from pollution.

Created by Ecover, the world’s largest producer of ecological cleaning products, The Ecover Garden capitalises on new technologies to use sustainable plastics to encourage consumers to consider the environmental impact of the products they use. The recycled plastic in the garden represents Ecover’s pioneering spirit in the field of sustainability, using both plant based ingredients in their products and sustainable recycled plastic in their packaging.

Water is fundamental to the design of the garden both literally and figuratively. Plants are used to represent the colour and movement of water, as they meander around a gravel path and monolithic walls are inspired by coastal cliffs and river gorges. A plastic toilet cleaner fountain, bottle-handle bench and laundry cap lamp emphasise the role of Ecover’s work in helping to make a healthy and sustainable lifestyle an easy choice for consumers, which in turn aids the recovery of our water systems.

Research from the Marine Conservation Society reveals that plastic debris accounts for almost 60 per cent of all litter found on UK beaches, and the UN Environmental Programme estimates that more than 1 million seabirds and more than 100,000 marine mammals die every year from ingesting plastic debris. Nearly two million plastic bottles are used in the UK every day and, whilst UK recycling rates have significantly increased over the past few years*, around 40% of plastic bottles are sent to landfill.

Designer of the Ecover Garden, Matthew Childs says: “The fundamental principle behind this garden is that water is life. We depend upon our aquatic environments, but they are under threat from pollution, including waste plastic in the seas, and toxic residues in our rivers and lakes. It is vital that we act to protect these crucial resources. We want to encourage more people to think about the products and plastics they use and for them to see recycled and plant based plastics as a major contributor to the sustainable future of our waterways.”

“When we think of recycled plastic, we often think of reusing it in its current state, for example the use of plastic bottles as mini-greenhouses to get cuttings started. The Ecover Garden will show how recycled plastic can be a beautiful material in itself, formed into new, practical and sculptural features. We want to change the perception of recycled materials from worthy and limited, to sexy, beautiful and versatile.”

Ecover are sponsors of the Inspire Zone at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, which champions cutting edge design and innovation. Thought-provoking Conceptual Gardens, inspirational Low Cost, High Impact Gardens, as well as practical advice, hands-on demonstrations and contemporary shopping stands make it a must for people looking to ideas for any modern garden.

*In 2000, just 3% of plastic bottles were recycled, Now 60% of all plastic bottles in the UK are collected for recycling.

Ecover is the world’s largest producer of ecological cleaning products, using sustainable plant and mineral-based ingredients to create highly effective cleaning products that achieve the lowest possible toxicity and the most rapid and complete biodegradability. Constantly innovating, Ecover continues to expand and improve its product range, including the development of a new eco-surfactant for use in its hard surface cleaners, meaning the range cleans as well as – or better than - the UK’s leading conventional brands. All of Ecover’s plastic bottles are made from Plant-astic – a 100% renewable, reusable and recyclable plastic made from sugarcane. Ecover was the first cleaning brand in the UK to use Plant-astic and has used it across its product range since 2011. For more information on this pioneering brand, visit www.the-splash.co.uk

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Henhouses need new homes

Trendy sustainable living - see the celebrity henhouses at Hampton

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is home to a fun henhouse auction this year, promoting and reflecting the trend for sustainable living.

Celebrity designers and personalities such as Philippa Forrester and TV show Dragon's Den Deborah Meaden have created henhouses which will be on show at Hampton Court on Monday 8 July and will be available to auction on the website ebay. The auction starts when the show opens on 9 July and continues to Sunday 28 July when the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park ends.

The line up of henhouse creators are;

• Sophie Conran

• David Domoney

• Philippa Forrester

• Kate Humble

• Deborah Meaden

• Nikki Tibbles

Proceeds from the auction will go to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening which encourages and supports school gardens, and the Addington Fund which supports British farming.

To bid for a henhouse please visit www.ebay.co.uk from 9 July.

Source: RHS Press Office

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.