RHS & Eastern Eye Garden of Unity

Project year: 2023
Posted: 01 Jun, 2023

Sponsor

Royal Horticultural Society
Eastern Eye

Details

The RHS and Eastern Eye newspaper partnered with garden designer Manoj Malde, the RHS Ambassador for diversity and inclusivity, to create a garden celebrating horticulture for everyone, everywhere.

Inspired by Manoj’s Indian heritage, the garden features a vibrant orange and pink palette reflecting the bold colours of Indian saris. Marigolds used in Hindu worship sit alongside spices and traditional oil lamps (diya), evoking festival and ceremonial traditions. Manoj’s background in fashion is expressed through richly embellished scatter cushions and Kuba cloth, also referencing his African roots.

Sustainability underpins the design, with peat-free planting and reclaimed materials, including pathways formed from reused limestone slabs. CED Stone supplied the ECCOgravel stabilisation system, filled with Buff Flint gravel, along with the striking boulder seats featured throughout the space.

Brightly coloured posts bearing messages in braille reinforce the garden’s core message: that gardens and gardening are for everyone, offering a place of inclusion, kindness and shared humanity.

In an historic first for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Manoj Malde, who designed the vibrant and colourful RHS and Eastern Eye Garden of Unity, married his partner Clive Gillmor, on the garden on Press Day.

Products used:
ECCOGravel
Buff Flint Gravel