Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester is supplying a selection of shrubs and herbaceous perennials for Kingston Maurward’s The Space Within Garden, which will appear in the Sanctuary Garden category at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Set to be used by a 100-strong team of students and staff to help create a melodic fusion of shade, light and movement, while celebrating Dorset horticulture at the UK’s most prestigious flower show, this support forms part of the garden centre’s initiative to undertake 15 community planting projects in celebration of its 15th anniversary. 

Designed by Kingston Maurward’s own garden designer, Michelle Brown, The Space Within Garden takes inspiration from the gardens of the French Riviera, combining styles from Europe and Dorset.

In keeping with the project’s zero waste philosophy, Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, is supplying around 30 varieties of plants and recycled pots that have been brought back to the garden centres by customers.

Sourced locally, the herbaceous perennials include Omphalodes ‘Cherry Ingram’, Heuchera ‘Green Spice’ and Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’, with Buxus sempervirens, Fatsia japonica ‘Variegata’ Sarcococca ‘Ghorepani’ among the plants and shrubs being used. 

While the horticultural students have been developing design ideas and potting up and growing on the plant deliveries from Poundbury Gardens, those studying wildlife and conservation are constructing a sanctuary wall using reclaimed timber from Kingston Maurward’s 750-acre estate and platform structures are being built by the welding, fabrication and blacksmithing department.  

The Space Within Garden will be among 12 Sanctuary Gardens on show at RHS Chelsea Flower Show from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 May 2022. 

Picture caption: Teacher, Herve Lereverend and two students from The RHS L2 Practical Horticulture course.