Natural Academy unveils inspiration behind this year's Chelsea Flower Show design
A Bristol-based not-for-profit has unveiled the inspiration behind its latest RHS Chelsea Flower Show entry, after taking home a silver medal at last year’s event.
Natural Academy, which provides accredited training in ecopsychology and nature-based practices, is once again designing a garden for the show, based on the theme of nature and health or ‘One Health’.
In partnership with one of their students, Emilie Griffin, Natural Academy co-founders Michéal Connors and Rhonda Brandrick have designed ‘Nature Kinship’ which will be on display during the show from 21-25 May 2024 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The Chelsea Flower Show, renowned worldwide for its prestigious garden designs, provides the perfect setting for Natural Academy to showcase its ethos of people and nature flourishing together. This year’s exhibit aims to engage, educate, and inspire the public about the benefits of adopting a deepened connectedness to the natural world.
Michéal Connors said: “Exhibiting at Chelsea and being awarded a silver medal was an extraordinary achievement for Natural Academy and for Emilie Griffin, who designed and built the 2023 garden, which was focussed on mind, body and nature and incorporated the five pathways to nature connectedness.
“For 2024 we will be based in the Discovery section of the Main Pavilion. Our garden is based on the theme of One Health and how the personal, social and ecological are a vital part of our health. The garden shows the balance that we need to find and is sending the message that there is only one health, people and nature together.”
The garden’s theme of kinship with nature is reflected in a balance scale, its recycled wooden pole acting as a bug hotel for insects. A ‘social’ basket bursts with vegetables to share on one side, while on the other, a ‘personal basket’ houses an Acer campestre (field maple) seedling to represent rebirth and growth. Drifts of British wildflowers tempt pollinators, which serve espalier apple, plum and quince trees, and the underplanted medicinal herbs. A native hedge at the rear, featuring blackthorn and dog rose, entices nesting birds.
Rhonda Brandrick, said: “For many, gardening represents a sensory experience that calms the mind while providing exercise and social interaction. Achieving this ‘One Health’ is vital for wellbeing, but it can be a delicate balancing act between the personal, social and ecological.
“This theme is core to our values at Natural Academy – all the training and services we provide represent this principle of nature and people together.
“We’re really excited to be back at the Chelsea Flower Show this year and we hope that our efforts and Emilie’s design will once again resonate with the visitors and judges.”
Emilie Griffin, a student of Natural Academy and a horticultural manager at a school for children with special educational needs, added the 2023 Silver Medal to her Bronze Medal in 2022. She said: “I’m so pleased to be designing and building a garden with Natural Academy again this year. It’s so important to promote wellbeing in nature and to represent this in our work. I love the balance between our own health and how it is connected to community health.
“I’m really looking forward to building this project in May and seeing how it all comes together, although we could do with a bit of sunshine to help the plants along!"
Natural Academy’s garden project has been supported by sponsorship partners The National Centre for Integrative Medicine and Penny Brohn UK.
Natural Academy is based at the Penny Brohn centre in Pill. With 14 years’ experience the Academy has developed ways to train, educate and support the ecotherapy movement by developing and supporting a community of professional practitioners who are actively working in applied ecopsychology and nature-based practice.
For more information visit https://www.naturalacademy.org/
