RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 Gold
Award winning garden
Acacia Gardens is delighted to announce its contribution to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. We participated in creating the St James’s Piccadilly: Imagine the World to be Different Show Garden. The garden, a stunning testament to urban green spaces’ transformative power, was honoured with a prestigious gold medal, highlighting its exceptional design and execution.
The acclaimed Robert Myers designed the garden, and Mark Richardson, a leading contractor of Stewart Landscape Construction, managed the project. It was sponsored by Project Giving Back/St James’s Piccadilly.
The Acacia Gardens team worked alongside Stewart Landscape Construction and specialist contractors. Acacia Gardens played a crucial role in this collaborative project by building the garden’s magnificent archway, a central focal point symbolising hope and recovery.
Also, Acacia Gardens contributed further, from building all the brickwork, undertaking part of the hard landscaping, soft landscaping, and planting to maintaining the garden throughout the show.
Our dedicated landscape construction team was present every day on the main avenue at St James’s Piccadilly and we are now on-site for the garden’s breakdown.
St James’s Piccadilly Show Garden Design
Upon entering the garden through the striking archway, which echoes the proposed gateways to St James’s Piccadilly churchyard, visitors are transported into a tranquil haven. This contemplative space is a sanctuary for urban dwellers and city wildlife, featuring a lush, biodiverse planting scheme. The garden invites visitors to sit, stroll, and immerse themselves in the sensory delights of dappled shade, verdant landscapes, and soothing water features.
The design pays homage to the revitalising influence of urban green spaces and is a testament to nature’s resilience. The garden’s inspiration stems from nature’s reclaiming of old bomb sites, a nod to the historic churchyard of St James’s Piccadilly that endured wartime bombings.
The garden showcases a diverse selection of climate-resilient trees and plants, including seven pioneer species that began to thrive in St James’s after the bombings. These resilient plants symbolise new hope and nature’s regenerative power, reflecting the garden’s overarching theme of renewal and resilience.
A circular, sculptural timber counselling cabin nestled among the foliage offers peace and inspiration, further enhancing the garden’s role as a vital sanctuary.
St James’s Piccadilly Show Garden Construction
The garden’s construction emphasises sustainability through several key initiatives: using rammed earth for the main wall elements instead of concrete or blockwork, using lime mortar and earthwork stocks, employing cement-free construction, and avoiding peat-based materials. Additionally, meticulous calculations minimise material waste, with 90% of materials designated for the legacy garden or recycling for other projects. The project also prioritises local suppliers to avoid importing trees and plants abroad.
After the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the garden will be relocated to St James’s Piccadilly. St Pancras New Church, and we, as a team at Acacia, will play a critical role in the garden relocation in a significant, sustainable way. This move aims to create a welcoming and inclusive green space for the congregation, residents and visitors. The relocated garden will continue to provide a contemplative, natural retreat within the bustling city, reinforcing nature’s essential place in urban life.
Overall, the St James’s Piccadilly: Imagine the World to be Different Show Garden celebrates urban green spaces’ history, resilience and transformative power. Acacia Gardens is proud to have contributed to this award-winning project, which won a RHS CHELSEA GOLD 2024 on Main Avenue and promises to enrich the lives of many in its future home.
Special thanks to Anna Tott for the stunning photos.
We are thrilled to have contributed to the St James’s Piccadilly Show Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. Winning the gold medal underscores the exceptional design and execution of this project, which highlights the transformative power of urban green spaces. Our role in building the magnificent archway symbolises hope and recovery, reflecting our commitment to creating sustainable and inspiring landscapes.
Herman Pobrati
Managing Director Acacia Gardens Ltd