RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 Wild Succession

At RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, Sustainable Garden Solutions delivered the Original Muck Boot Co x Dickies show garden as a full design and build project on the same plot used in previous years. With filming crews capturing the process both on site and back at our HQ, the build had an added layer of energy and visibility behind the scenes.

To keep the plot feeling fresh, we stepped away from “more” and focused on a simpler, story-led concept built around wild succession. The layout was designed as a sweeping open-plan journey you could physically walk through, tracing planting as it moves through stages of growth from open grassland into denser woodland and forest structure. The aim was to make a natural process tangible and show how landscapes evolve over time when you work with nature rather than forcing it.

Within the woodland zone, we introduced wall-hung water features inspired by the damp, layered feel of Welsh rainforest habitats and native woodland ecology. The sound and movement helped shift the atmosphere as visitors moved into the denser planting, adding calm while still feeling dramatic in a Chelsea setting.

A key feature we introduced here and have used again since was standing deadwood. We repurposed coppiced silver birch, installing it upright on hidden rebar fixings to create clean, vertical forms. Visually it delivers an immediate statement through bright bark and texture, but it also supports the garden’s wildlife-friendly purpose. Standing deadwood is one of the rarest habitats in managed landscapes, and this detail helps support insects, birds and wider biodiversity while proving that habitat-first choices can sit comfortably inside a strong design.