RHS Shows go even greener
The RHS has announced new measures, including the banning of sale of several products, to improve the environmental credentials of its shows.
Strict rules already surround the sale of non-native invasive plants and those dug up from the wild and these have been bolstered by the ban from sale of patio heaters, ornaments made from petrified wood and fossil stones.
Food sold through the various catering outlets will be locally sourced in a bid to reduce ‘food miles’ and enhance regionality, and from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, visitors will be given recycled carrier bags made from corn starch for their purchases.
The Society supplies more than 415,000 carrier bags a year and from 2009 onwards it will be encouraging a total ban on the use of plastic carrier bags.
Waste is an important issue for the Society, and everything ending up in skips and bins from the 2008 shows will be monitored, measured and photographed so a base line for future measurements can be calculated. Visitors will also notice special bins so they can separate their waste so more can be recycled.
In the true spirit of recycling, several gardens at this year’s RHS shows are destined to live on after the various events. From the Chelsea show there are three gardens with future plans:
- ‘The Marshalls Garden That Kids Really Want!’ will be taken down after the show and rebuilt at one of the new Marshalls’ Gardens and Driveway Centres currently being developed.
- Trees and shrubs used in The QVC garden will be planted in Battersea Park as part of the charity Thrive’s ongoing Battersea Project.
- ‘The Largest Room in the House’ from Leeds City Council, Parks and Countryside, will be rebuilt in a prominent position within the city.
Climate control
Climate change remains a hot topic, and at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, the RHS will be working with the MET Office to create a feature and be on-hand to offer expert advice about gardening and the changing climate.
With climate change in mind, several exhibitors are offering a view of what gardens might look like in years to come.
The London Wildlife Trusts will explore what wildlife we might expect to see in our gardens in 50 years time, Metagardens will offer a futuristic garden with digital tools and gardening techniques, while Send a Cow will create an eco-garden of the future based on African gardening practices.