RHS Bursary Study Tour 2021

RHS Bursary Study Tour 2021

In October 2021 I was awarded a Royal Horticultural Society Bursary to study brownfield and gravel gardens. My report ‘Nature rising from the rubble’ explored growing plants in aggregates and the potential for wildlife in different gardens and landscape. It won the prestigious main 2022 RHS prize and is free to read via the Roots and All website or on request from the RHS Lindley Library (RHS Bursary Reports).

During my tour I visited two gardens in Essex - RHS Hyde Hall Dry Garden and Beth Chatto’s Gravel Garden. Then, I went to two projects by John Little - his own garden Hilldrop, Horndon-on-the-Hill and car park for Langdon Nature Discovery Park both also in Essex. Finally, in London, I visited Horniman Museum Grasslands Garden designed by James Hitchmough.

Growing plants in aggregates can be easier to establish, maintain and manage long term. It is a permanent surface which is weed seed free and, with the right plant choice, is long lived without irrigation. In addition, using recycled aggregates (such as crushed concrete, brick, or ceramic waste) is very sustainable (as showcased by John Little). The stressful conditions, from the low fertility environment, provides the potential for a diverse mosaic of plant communities which can be very beneficial for wildlife. There seems to me to be enormous scope for this approach to be used at all scales to create planting schemes adapted to climate change for people and wildlife.