An imaginative garden called ‘A Place to Be…’ – which features a working monorail – is set to star at this year’s prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Designed as a sanctuary for children whose daily routines have been upended by hospital stays, treatments and the concerns of loved ones, the garden offers a space where they can have fun, explore and reconnect with their imagination. Prioritising play and escapism, the garden features a monorail, an innovation never seen before at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Within ‘A Place to Be…’ children can ride the monorail through the garden, arriving at The Nest, a secluded structure constructed from steam bent hazel. This cosy hideaway offers complete privacy while still allowing children to observe the world unnoticed. Here they can feel safe and calm whilst also enjoying a space built for adventure and populated with wonderful interactive games and thoughtful books. For those who can’t ride the monorail, the garden also includes a walking route passed a shiny, oversized feature tap, that runs with a continuous stream of cool water. Alongside this will be an interactive pad that when pressed will create bubbles to appear in the still water of a tranquil pond.
Sensory plants enhance the experience, with soft-to-the-touch grasses like Melica altissima ‘Alba’ and Stipa tenuissima ‘Pony Tails’. Meanwhile, playful bulbs like Allium ‘Forelock’ and Allium ‘Hair’ add whimsical shapes and a sense of fun to the space. The Show Garden ‘A Place To Be…’ is the work of North Yorkshire-based garden designer Tom Clarke, in collaboration with Ros Coutts-Harwood. Their motivation to give children affected by cancer the chance to escape from the day-to-day realities of treatment and hospital visits. Following the prestigious event the garden will be relocated to Raines Retreat in Allerston, near Pickering, North Yorkshire. This new retreat – opening this Spring – is the first of its kind in the UK, and will offer any family affected by childhood cancer the chance for a free holiday. Both the Retreat and the ‘A Place To Be…’ garden are funded by leading childhood cancer charity Children with Cancer UK.
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their world and the lives of those around them alters in an instant. In the UK, ten children and young people are diagnosed with the disease every day, and sadly, around 250 a year lose their lives. This new garden follows Tom’s success at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, where his ‘Raines Repurposed’ Balcony Garden – also sponsored by Children with Cancer UK – won both a Silver Gilt medal and the People’s Choice Award for Best Balcony/Container Garden. ‘Raines Repurposed’ will also be installed – on one of the terraces – at Raines Retreat.
