The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is always a source of fresh garden inspiration. After exploring this year's displays, I left with several ideas that could work brilliantly in my own compact outdoor space.
Like many UK homeowners and renters, I call a small terrace garden my own – although, in its current state, 'garden' may be too optimistic a term. When I gaze out onto the stone-paved space, all I see is a tiny soil bed and a shed tucked into the rear end. There's no lawn, no flowers and – bar a lone orange tree and the neighbour's ivy crawling over the fence – very little greenery.
Still, I don't see a grey urban desert — I see endless potential. And this year's RHS Chelsea, with its ingenious balcony and container gardens, arrived at exactly the right moment, taking place during the same week I swapped a flat for a little London house with a small garden of my own.
Chelsea convinced me that pots are enough
While the large show gardens are, without doubt, awe-inspiring, I found myself most inspired by one particular container design. The Whittard of Chelsea Garden, sponsored by the famed tea manufacturer, was a beautifully layered space brought to life with reclaimed pots overflowing with roses, valerian and nettles.
Out of all the small gardens, it felt the most like the kind of authentic space hiding behind an unassuming urban façade. 'We imagined it as this small London courtyard that's owned by this eccentric tea enthusiast,' said designer Ollie Pike.
Large metal pots and smaller planters were arranged in an undulating, kidney-shaped formation, creating a lush, cocooning effect. A simple bistro set positioned at the centre and a copper pipe releasing water into a large vessel (an auditory nod to the 'perfect pour') completed the look. My biggest takeaway? You don't need borders to create a garden oasis; a thoughtfully arranged collection of pots can transform even the greyest paving into a verdant retreat.
I found a renter-friendly alternative to ivy
Vertical planting was a pearl of small-space wisdom found everywhere at Chelsea – but not all climbers are created equal. Rebecca Lloyd Jones, designer of The Transient Garden, offered a particularly helpful tip that I will be applying to my own outdoor garden without question: choose twining climbers.
Her balcony design featured climbers such as rambling roses, honeysuckle and jasmine. Unlike like ivy or Virginia creeper, these wrap themselves around poles instead of sticking to surfaces. 'They don't have aerial roots [and sticky pads], so they don't damage the wall and you can take it with you when you do go,' Rebecca told me.
I've stopped assuming small gardens need small trees
Speaking of vertical growing, trees took centre stage in many of the container and balcony gardens at Chelsea this year – and not just the small, manageable kind you might expect. In the Flood Re: Contain the Rain Garden, a compact space inspired by traditional Persian design, designer John Howlett placed two towering trees in containers on either side to quite literally overshadow the roughly 300 different plants growing underneath.
According to Joe Carey, co-designer of Addleshaw Goddard: Flourish in the City, one of Chelsea's small show gardens, near-dizzying heights are exactly what a small space needs. 'Be brave with your choice of trees and don't assume that because you've got a small garden, you need a small tree,' he told me.
And trees aren't just visually impactful; they also produce oxygen and provide cooling shade during the summer months. So, the bigger, the better – I just need to make sure that they don't grow over two metres tall to keep the neighbours happy. Either way, it's safe to say that my lone orange tree is about to get some company.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest
The Garden Edit
Folding Bistro Set, 3 Pieces
