There's a Rhino in Chelsea!

We are so excited to have one of our very own Rhinos featuring in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year. The show is already underway, so there are only a few more days to go and check out the GOLD MEDAL WINNING Montessori Centenary Garden and our beloved Rhino Greenhouse.

The Montessori Centenary Children’s Garden, as the name suggests, is celebrating 100 years of Montessori in the UK. Montessori is a charitable and educational movement that takes a holistic and individual approach to teaching children. Their RHS Chelsea garden, designed by Jody Lidgard, is about child-development and engagement with nature. It is a welcoming and innovative design, bringing together colours and textures, wildlife and technology.

“Space to Grow” was the brief, and Jody’s team have fulfilled that brief tremendously. Sensory engagement is keenly important for young minds, and a natural environment is perfectly in-keeping with the Montessori approach. The garden is designed to inspire and encourage curiosity – bright colours and interactive areas make for an exciting playground in which children can love to learn. The various features of the garden teach about sustainability, farming and ecosystems, with our own Rhino greenhouse in the middle of it all.

Jody Lidgard is the managing director of Bespoke Outdoor Spaces – a landscaping company from our home turf, East Anglia. Jody has overseen the construction of Chelsea Gardens for over a decade, but the Montessori Garden is his first as designer. His love for the Chelsea Flower Show is contagious:

“There is an unbridled passion and buzz around the showground, the pageantry and pomp remind me of medieval celebrations where the knightly houses paraded with their retainers and household knights prior to an important tournament or event.”

Like Montessori, Jody believes in the importance of education, when it comes to nature. He hopes his design will provide a sense of discovery and remind people of childhood days, with family in the garden.

Jody can now add Gold Medal Winning Designer to his list of accolades and if you’re heading to the Chelsea Flower Show this week, please go and enjoy his wonderful design and see our bespoke Rhino in action.

Photography by Adrian Brooks.