‘Let ’em Grow’ Urban Retreat
A green riot where the usual rules do not apply, encouraging gardeners to let go
Young Landscape Contractor & Planting Designer
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‘Let ’em Grow’ Urban Retreat
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It's a jungle out there! Tree ferns rise from unfettered planting mixing grasses, ferns, perennials and shrubs
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‘Let ’em Grow’ Urban Retreat
6 / 6
‘Let ’em Grow’ Urban Retreat
1 / 6
It's a jungle out there! Tree ferns rise from unfettered planting mixing grasses, ferns, perennials and shrubs
2 / 6
‘Let ’em Grow’ Urban Retreat
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Did you know...
- Structure is provided by tree ferns, hornbeam cubes and a crown-lifted, multistemmed Acer
- Buzzing with bees and other pollinators, a flower-rich lawn surrounds the Acer - a reminder that lawns don't have to be a perfect green sward
- The dense vegetation is designed to soak up the excess runoff that is an inevitable consequence of rainstorms in built-up areas
About the Garden
This garden is inspired by neglected urban spaces, where vegetation takes control over an unmanaged site, colonising tiny pockets of soil available between pavers or cracks in walls.These sites are extremely valuable for biodiversity due to the dense, complex layering of vegetation alongside limited human intervention, and they also help soak up stormwater run-off and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Therefore, gardeners are encouraged to take a less-stringent approach to managing their gardens to ‘Let ’em Grow’ and develop into more natural, wilder, richer places.
Supported by BALI
RHS People’s Choice Award
The votes have been counted – did your favourite gardens win?
All Show Gardens
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Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.