RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 Upcycling Build

For RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, Sustainable Garden Solutions returned to deliver The Original Muck Boot Co garden as a full design and build project. After our first Chelsea under our belt, we came back ready to push the detail and personality further, while staying grounded in what we stand for: strong craft, high-impact design, and a clear commitment to reclaimed and upcycled materials.

With real creative freedom inside the brand brief, we built the garden around texture and contrast. We used reclaimed pallet timber across multiple surfaces, laying alternating herringbone patterns both at ground level and vertically to create a bold visual rhythm through the space. Against the crisp timber lines, we introduced circular stone “rock floors” in mixed sizes, shaped so the curves pressed tightly into the timber edges. That clash of materials was intentional, striking and tactile while still feeling raw and buildable.

Water was a major feature too. We created three bespoke gabion water features made from upcycled materials, set at different heights to add movement and balance. Around these, we added brand-led details including pipework boot and shoe stands, plus flintwork accents and upright sleeper beds to anchor the layout and support structure through the planting.

The planting scheme was unapologetically pollinator-friendly: vibrant, structural, and designed to pull people in close. We achieved full marks across the board apart from one painful detail: an accidental plastic plant slipped into an aquatic delivery for the water features. In the chaos of install, we missed it and that single mistake dropped the result to 4 out of 5 gold stars. It stung, but it also reinforced exactly why our standards matter even under show pressure.