Sometimes a garden show is about more than stopping to smell the roses. At the upcoming Chelsea Flower Show, some of the exhibits will help imagine what the future of gardens and open spaces could be. There’s a concept ADHD Garden that features a central reflection pool and “the plant selection has been chosen to provide a subliminal effect on the senses, inducing a sense of calm and rest from an overactive mind.” Another intriguing concept is the Peace of Mind Garden where the plantings are laid out to reference a colour wheel and the aim of the garden is to “grounded in the moment to mindfully observe plants and colour which can enhance mood and benefit mental wellbeing.”
One of the most inventive ideas is a futuristic Dog Garden that teaches people plants to avoid that are harmful to dogs and how to create a hardy lawn that is perfect for pets to roll around and do their business. The entire show is a perfect reminder of the importance of time outdoors (we wrote about the therapeutic effects of this in our Green Prescriptions trend from The Future Normal), and also how the best gardens are created with intention. We don’t need to settle for dog “parks” that are basically a rectangular cage around some turf spread out over concrete.” As we head into Spring up here in the Northern hemisphere—it’s a great time to go plant something. And if all these garden concepts seem like a lot of work, you can always try “chaos gardening” instead.
