Stedham garden designer chosen to exhibit work at Chelsea Flower Show

Tom Wilkes-Rios, who has worked as a gardener and garden designer for 15 years, was ‘thrilled’ to find out he had been accepted to take part in the renowned flower show after having to ‘build up the courage to apply’.

He said: “Having built up all this experience I thought it was about the right time for me to present my approach and ideas to garden making, and what better place to do it than at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022?

"It feels like such a huge achievement to just be accepted to exhibit, and I’m excited and nervous all at once.”

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place from May 24 - 28 and will showcase more than 30 gardens.

Welcoming expert garden designers, florists and plant specialists each year, the annual event displays a range of inspirational and cutting-edge exhibits.

The category Mr Wilkes-Rios is entering – Balcony and Container Gardens – suits the 35-year-old who often works in smaller spaces. He said: “Sometimes with the restrictions of a smaller space, one is forced to be more creative with one’s vision."

This is exactly the focus of his garden: to ‘show what is possible in a small space and to open people’s minds to the unexpected’.

Working in London and living in Stedham, the garden designer also has a particular interest in how microclimates differ, both across the country and within a single garden.

He said: "The plants in London are much 'further ahead' in terms of their growth.

"There are plants thriving in London gardens which according to hardiness zones should not be there.

"I have become fascinated with learning about the different hardiness zones around the UK, and how even within those zones, microclimates exist, creating a unique set of conditions for plants to grow in.

"There is also a lot of conflicting information about plant hardiness, and I have found that experimenting and testing spaces in your own garden is the best way to find out what works.

"I would advocate for a more holistic approach to gardening — understanding the hardiness zones is helpful and a good starting point but doesn’t factor in microclimates, which do present unique opportunities to grow plants previously only grown under glass.

"My garden at the show is a celebration of all this and much more: showing people what is possible in a small space and what might be possible in a particular microclimate."

For more information about the garden Mr Wilkes-Rios will be showcasing, visit the Chelsea Garden Show website.

To find out more about the garden designers work, visit his website.

See also: Garden Trail comes to Fittleworth

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