A Little Garden of Shared Knowledge sponsored by Viking

The garden

This garden has been thoughtfully designed for a well-travelled, retired creative couple with a deep passion for horticulture and the arts. Serving as both a private sanctuary and a welcoming space for friends and family, it offers an environment where gardening techniques, travel experiences and family traditions are shared.

The space encourages nurturing, with a curated selection of flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruit arranged within a compact layout. Drawing on insights from previous gardens and travels near and far, the balcony represents a culmination of learning, exploration and a desire to pass on knowledge, particularly to younger family members.

Having recently downsized to a London townhouse to be closer to cultural events, the imagined couple remains deeply committed to gardening. Their balcony garden fosters intergenerational connections, supports the sharing of stories and skills and stands as a living legacy.

Key plants

The planting design focuses on resilience and adaptability, ensuring the garden thrives despite the challenges of changing climate conditions. It includes drought-tolerant species that are well-suited to coping with periods of heat and limited rainfall while maintaining year-round interest and structure.

• Vitis vinifera (grapevine): symbolises Viking travel and designer Katerina’s Greek heritage, offering edible leaves and fruit while providing shade and a beautiful pergola cover
• Craspedia globosa (billy buttons): a drought-tolerant perennial with bright yellow blooms that add vertical interest and colour, thriving in sunny, low-maintenance conditions
• Punica granatum (pomegranate)
• Dwarf edibles: specially bred for compact growth, these include beans, peas, tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers and herbs – all productive, flavourful and ideal for containers
• Nasturtiums: vibrant, edible flowers and leaves with a peppery taste, perfect for trailing from pots and acting as natural pest deterrents and pollinator magnets

Plants supplier: Sea Spring Seeds, She Grows Veg, Stonebarn Landscapes and Otter Nursery.

Sustainability notes

Movable pots and long-lasting materials allow flexibility and reduce waste, while the integration of multi-purpose plants – those that can be used for cooking, tea, or natural management of pests – illustrates a sustainable, closed-loop mindset. The use of evergreen and seasonal plants together ensures year-round interest without frequent replanting.

The designer – Katerina Kantalis

Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Katerina has spent half her life in the UK, where she first built a successful career in fundraising and science, earning a PhD. In 2020, she retrained at the British Academy of Garden Design and launched her own studio in southeast London the following year. Her move into garden design was a natural progression, shaped by a lifelong connection to nature and a desire to create spaces that are both beautiful and relatable. 

About the sponsor – Viking

2026 marks the fifth consecutive year that Viking has sponsored a balcony garden at RHS Chelsea. The company believes these gardens offer valuable inspiration for transforming compact outdoor spaces into functional and visually engaging environments. This concept resonates with Viking’s design philosophy – every stateroom on their ocean ships features a private veranda, making the balcony garden a natural extension of their brand identity. The sponsorship also reflects Viking’s Nordic heritage and enduring passion for the outdoors.

Garden legacy

Everything from the garden has been repurposed or returned to suppliers. 

Plant list
Trees/Shrub
· Punica granatum (pomegranate)

Fruit
· Vitis vinifera (grapevine)
· Ribes redrum (redcurrant)
· Alpine strawberries
· Fragaria × ananassa ‘Elsanta’

Vegetables/Kitchen Garden
· Amaranthus ‘Coral fountain’
· Amaranthus ‘Red aztec’
· Basil purple ball
· Basilicious ‘Velvet spice F1’
· Basil ‘Siam Queen’
· Basil Greek ‘Aristotle’
· Beetroot ‘Baby leaf’
· Chard ‘Rainbow’
· Chenopodium giganteum 'Magenta Spreen' (Tree Spinach)
· Cucumber ‘Crystal Lemon’
· Fenugreek
· Foeniculum vulgare
· Kale ‘Nero’
· Laurus nobilis ‘Angustifolia’ – bushes (narrow leafed bay)
· Lemon verbena
· Lettuce ‘Little gem’
· Lettuce ‘Speckled trout’
· Mustard ‘Red dragon’
· Mustard ‘Red frills’
· Origanum vulgare
· Pak Choi – Purple Rain F1
· Rocket – Dragons fire
· Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ‘Gourmanusun’
· Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ‘Orange wellington’
· Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ‘Sungold supersweet’
· Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ‘Chocolate cherry’
· Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium) ‘milk maid’

Herbs
· Melissa officinalis (lemon balm)
· Thymus coccineus
· Thymus ‘Doone Valley’
· Thymus praecox
· Satureja douglasii (trailing Indian mint)

Herbaceous perennials and Evergreens
· Argyranthemum ‘Madeira’
· Cistus umbellatus
· Geum ‘Tempo yellow’
· Geum ‘Tequila sunrise’
· Halimiocistus sahucii
· Helichrysum bracteatum
· Helianthemum ‘Ben fahda’
· Lathyrus odoratus Sweet pea ‘Black knight’ & ‘Mumsie’
· Marigold ‘French aton bee’
· Melittis melissophyllum ‘Royal velvet distinction’
· Nemesia – Burgundy bicolour
· Nepeta hederacea 'Variegata'
· Pelargonium fragrans (apple & citron scented)
· Petunia hybrida ‘Golden harvest’