RHS announces Hampton Court show gardens

The Royal Horticultural Society has announced the show gardens that will feature at the Royal Horticultural Society's Hampton Court Flower Show.

Gardeners looking for inspiration will be able to enjoy an eclectic mix of themes, with installations based on the seven deadly sins, Australia and on the theme of the community.

Rachel Parker Soden is to create a garden based around the sin of lust, while Nilufer Danis' design for wrath has been inspired by the instability of an eruptive volcano. 

Marcus Green has chosen to illustrate the sin of envy by putting an artificial representation of the perfect lawn at the centre of his meadow planting.

Katarina Rafaj's garden, based on the sin of gluttony, addresses the issue of food waste in a world where millions of people go hungry.

Gardens based on the sins of greed, sloth and pride will also feature in the installation, which is predicted to be thought-provoking, inspiring and controversial.

As a contrast to the rather weighty subject matter of the seven deadly sins, visitors will also be able to enjoy gardens based around different communities. 

The Monday Morning Club from Thetford in Norfolk is to create a show garden based around their hometown, while Jeni Cairns is designing a community horticultural and arts space for Metal called 'A Space to Connect and Grow'.

A more exotic feel will be conjured up by former RHS Chelsea Flower Show designer Jim Fogarty, who is aiming to recreate the atmosphere of the Australian Garden at Melbourne's Botanic Gardens.

There will also be a trilogy of gardens inspired by the 30th anniversary of the Ethiopian famine, designed by World Vision.

Summer Gardens will include contributions by the Bounce Back Foundation, which aims to rehabilitate offenders. There will also be gardens designed by the People's Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

The flower show runs from July 8th – 13th. Hopefully the weather will have improved by then and visitors will be able to enjoy the thought-provoking designs in the warm, summer sunshine.