Seven take-home design trends from RHS Chelsea 2024
Take a little piece of RHS Chelsea inspiration into your gardens, balconies and containers
RHS Chelsea
Flower Show
RHS Chelsea Flower Show at night
A rare glimpse of RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 lit at night
Evenings at the RHS Chelsea showground are something quite magical. Several of the Show Gardens, tradestands and House Plant Studios are subtly lit, creating a breath-taking atmosphere that few get to see. We took the opportunity to sneak out and enjoy it.
Gentle low-level lighting around the seating area on The Ecotherapy Garden
Warm lighting across steps for safety in The National Autistic Society Garden
Downlighters to showcase artworks on The Water Saving Garden, supported by Affinity Water
A simple lantern for less impact in the mgr Changing Tides Garden
The House Plant Studios showcase how to light an outdoor space with style
Warm lighting picks up the pale yellows of the planting, on the Terrence Higgins Trust Bridge to 2030 Garden
Careful lighting enhances the peeling bark of a birch tree on The RHS No Adults Allowed Garden
Unusual effect created by having lighting inside a woven building on the St James’s Picadilly: Imagine the World to be Different Garden
Important advice on garden lighting
- The best advice is to not light your garden at all, to minimise disruption to wildlife who depend on darkness
- If you need to light your garden for safety reasons, concentrate on steps and pathways
- Keep it low, directing light across steps and paths, not up into the wildlife-filled sky
- Use warm tones of lighting – red is best but maybe a little harsh, so choose oranges and warm yellows, which are better for wildlife at night
- Avoid lighting ponds, as they can attract flying creatures and cause death
