RHS - Royal Horticultural Society

23/08/2026

Many of us will have felt the uplifting effect of gardening, and The RHS Wellbeing Garden Blueprint, our science-backed guide developed for anyone who wants to create a garden optimised for wellbeing, confirms it!

Whatever green space you have access to, be it your own or a community garden, being among plants is a valuable asset to your health, so we asked four experts for their top plants for wellbeing:

🌸 Director of Gardens at Horatio's Garden, Kath Moss, picked Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ear)

"An evergreen, good for ground cover and drought-tolerant. I can’t walk past it without touching the beautiful soft leaves. It’s widely used in our gardens, as having something tactile is so valuable. We try and appeal to all the senses to help people get into a really calm space. In our research, 100% of people said their mental health and self-esteem improved after using the gardens, and 71% said being in the garden helped to distract from pain.”

🌸 Multi-award-winning designer, Chris Beardshaw, picked Sambucus nigra (common elder)

"A plant lots of gardeners can’t tolerate, but I really like it in loose, mixed hedging. In late spring the frothy, scented blooms are loved by bees, and it’s always been linked to health and vitality – the berries are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Research in Norway looked at elderberry syrup given at the onset of cold and flu symptoms. Compared with the placebo, there was a four-day reduction in the time people suffered. Note, berries must not be eaten raw.”

🌸 RHS author and professor of environmental horticulture, Professor Ross Cameron, chose Dahlia ‘Chat Noir’ and other bright coloured cultivars such as ‘Kelvin Floodlight’ or ‘Sylvia’ which can evoke good moods.

"Warm hues – reds, yellows and oranges – and bold flower shapes attract the eye and give a strong positive emotional response, which causes a short-term buzz. Filling your day with many small moments like these is thought to protect against poor mental health. Dahlias are variable – you can find one for most sunny spots.”

🌸 The RHS Wellbeing Fellow Dr Ashby Lavelle Sachs selected Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)

"Easy to grow, so it won’t disappoint the average gardener. It has a long flowering period and is beautiful in prairie-style planting with grasses. It also attracts bees and butterflies, along with jays and goldfinches. Studies have shown that people in areas with more birdsong have measurably increased wellbeing. As you garden it builds a bridge between you and the natural world. You start to realise you’re part of something greater than yourself, so you get perspective and feel less alone.”

Find out more about how plants and gardens can help to reduce stress and strengthen our connection with the natural world: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/blueprint/plants-for-wellbeing-gardens/experts-pick

23/08/2026

Who would have thought that these tiny garden gnomes could make such a difference 🧔

In a playful nod to The King’s own garden gnome at Highgrove, the ban on gnomes was lifted this year for the second time in RHS Chelsea's history, allowing them to make a special appearance in The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden.

Celebrities inclduing Sir Brian May, Sir David Beckham, Baroness Floella Benjamin, Dame Joanna Lumley, Cate Blanchett, Alan Titchmarsh and Frances Tophill were invited to decorate their own garden gnomes, raising £19.943.25 in auction!

The proceeds from the auction will go towards the RHS Campaign for School Gardening which aims to enable pupils to learn through gardening, instil a love of plants and nature and inspire the next generation of gardeners.

Find out more about the RHS Campaign for School Gardening: https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/school-gardening

22/08/2026

Producing rich shades of purple, mauve, ruby, pink and white, verbena provides valuable support for wildlife in late summer and autumn, especially when planted alongside dahlias, asters and phacelia. Here's everything you need to know about it:

💜 Its clusters of small, nectar-rich flowers are highly attractive to butterflies, bees, hoverflies and moths, making it one of the best plants for a pollinator-friendly border.

💜 Often described as a "butterfly magnet", the flat-topped flowers provide convenient landing platforms for butterflies while they feed.

💜 Its exceptionally long flowering season, from summer into autumn, provides a valuable nectar source when many other flowers are beginning to fade.

💜 Native to South America, particularly Argentina and neighbouring regions, its tall, airy stems can reach 1.5-2m or more, creating height without blocking views of surrounding plants.

💜 It readily self-seeds, often appearing elsewhere in the garden, and thrives in full sun, warmth and well-drained soil.

Find out more about boosting wildlife in your garden by growing verbena: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/verbena

22/08/2026

The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: On the Edge, originally designed by Sarah Eberle for RHS Chelsea 2026, has officially opened in its permanent new home at Sheffield’s iconic Park Hill 🌳

The garden celebrates the importance of 'edgelands', the often-overlooked spaces on the fringes of towns and cities that help connect people with nature.

Supported by Project Giving Back and now reimagined for its new home, the garden features the striking Mother Nature figure crafted from fallen trees and will provide residents with a place to connect with nature for years to come.

Find out more about the relocation story: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/misc-shows/relocations/relocation-stories/campaign-to-protect-rural-england-garden

(📷 Photo 1 - The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: On the Edge at its new home in Sheffield © Joel Fildes; Photo 2 - Designer Sarah Eberle with woodcarver and chainsaw artist Chris Wood © Joel Fildes; Photo 3 - The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: On the Edge at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026)

21/08/2026

Discover more ways to enjoy the world of gardening with an RHS Membership 🌿

As an RHS member, you’ll get free access to all five RHS Gardens, free selected days at 240+ Partner Gardens, priority booking, reduced-rate tickets and exclusive Members’ Days at RHS Shows, plus much more.

Your membership also helps support our charitable work, from training the next generation of gardeners to finding solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face.

Become a member today: https://www.rhs.org.uk/join/promo/4466

21/08/2026

Take a trip to these RHS Partner Gardens where the coast has helped shape the landscape, planting and growing conditions:

🌊 Coleton Fishacre, Devon
Benefiting from a mild maritime climate, a wide range of tender and exotic species thrive on the South Devon coast. Sea mists and moisture carried inland from the coast help maintain humidity levels, creating favourable growing conditions.

🌊 Walmer Castle & Gardens, Kent
Positioned on the East Kent coast where the prevailing wind approaches from the land rather than the sea, plants including Mahonia duclouxiana and green-leaved Aucuba are used as effective windbreaks.

🌊 Glenwhan Botanic Garden, Scotland
Located on Scotland's south-west coast, it offers stunning sea views across Luce Bay to the Mull of Galloway. Its proximity to the Gulf Stream allows many tender and exotic plants from around the world to flourish.

🌊 Mount Stewart - National Trust, Northern Ireland
The garden's remarkable diversity is made possible by a unique coastal microclimate created by its position overlooking Strangford Lough. As climate change continues to influence coastal landscapes, historic sea plantation is being restored and expanded.

🌊 Jardin Botanique de Vauville, France
Perched on the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, the Gulf Stream brings mild winters and a remarkably frost-free climate, allowing plants such as Cupressus macrocarpa, Phormium tenax and Eryngium pandanifolium to thrive.

RHS members get free access on selected days to over 240 gardens across the UK and overseas. Find out more about becoming a member and nine RHS Partner Gardens influenced by the coast:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/partner-gardens/articles/coastal-gardens

(📷 Photo 1 © James Grainger; Photo 2 © English Heritage; Photo 3 © Ian Knott Sinclair; Photo 4 © National Trust; Photo 5 © Eric Pellerin)

20/08/2026

On this week's Gardening with the RHS podcast, we delve into the world of apple and pear trees!

Trained forms of apples and pears, such as espaliers and cordons, are a great way to fit fruit trees into small spaces. Grown against a wall, fence or support, these trees need pruning in summer. RHS Garden Wisley's fruit tree expert, Jim Arbury, takes us through the process 🍎

We also chat with RHS horticulturist Lucie Rudnicka about seed collecting, while Gareth Richards discusses the publication of a new book, RHS Wildflowers: A Pocket Guide.

Listen to the episode to find out more: https://podfollow.com/rhs-gardening/episode/1f43492910f4e3fb59359e98c81d0a7279cf6b54/view

19/08/2026

Have you ever found a leaf that you can't place? Or spotted a wildflower that you couldn't identify? Or heard a birdsong that you did't recognise? 🤔

Our three new RHS Pocket Guides contain everything you need to identify the trees, wildflowers and birds around you and care for them in your garden.

Small in size, these beautifully illustrated books are bursting with year-round guidance and inspiration for every nature-lover, making them the perfect companions for a country walk or sunny garden seat.

Discover our new pocket guides, RHS Garden Birds, RHS Wildflowers and RHS Trees: https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/publications/books

19/08/2026

5 ways to make a perfect habitat for wild bees:

🐝 Bee hotels
A simple DIY bee hotel made from two stacked blocks of wood, drilled with smooth holes and topped with a forward-sloping roof, can be hung on a wall or fence.

🐝 Bee post high-rises
If you have any fence posts or dead tree trunks in your garden, you can simply drill holes into them. Alternatively, install a drilled post, such as a reclaimed fence post, in a border or wildlife area and make it a design feature. Make sure the wood has not been treated with chemicals or paint.

🐝 Bamboo bundles
Cut bamboo canes into lengths and tie them into bundles. This is another bee-friendly feature that doesn’t require any ground space, just a sunny wall, fence, or tree to hang it on.

🐝 Leave a patch of soil bare in a sunny spot
This can become a nesting site for ground-nesting solitary bees, such as mining bees. Sandy soil is especially popular because it’s easy for bees to burrow into.

🐝 Grow an area of long grass
Set aside a part of your garden where you can let the grass grow long, even if it’s only a small corner. This will benefit a wide range of wildlife, from butterflies to hedgehogs, as well as ground-nesting bumblebees.

Alongside these five ways, don't forget to choose plants from the RHS Plants for Pollinators list! Find out more about helping bees in your garden: https://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife/how-to-make-habitats-for-wild-bees

18/08/2026

We're launching a survey to understand how the exceptional heat and drought of summer 2026 has affected gardens across the UK.

We're asking gardeners to tell us what plants have thrived, struggled or surprised them during these unprecedented conditions to help us build one of the UK's largest snapshots of how gardens responded to the 2026 heatwave and drought.

Your observations will help other gardeners adapt to a changing climate by improving our understanding of plant resilience, supporting future climate adaptation research, and helping inform RHS gardening advice 🌱

Every garden and every response matters so please share this survey with friends, family and fellow gardeners!

Take the survey by 30th September 👉

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