UK: Small spaces and community gardening celebrated at first RHS Urban Show

Show manager Lex Falleyn explains how the Royal Horticultural Society’s latest event could help to inspire greener cities.

By Nina Mason
ProLandscaper Magazine
18 Apr 24

Excerpt:

From celebrating pub gardens and community gardening, to offering ideas for even the smallest of outdoor spaces, the RHS Urban Show will be showing what’s possible to create in an urban environment. Two of the biggest threads throughout the show will be caring for houseplants as well as gardening on a budget, as these have been some of the top-searched topics on the RHS website, says show manager, Lex Falleyn, whose own experience arguably makes her the perfect fit to head up the charity’s new show.

Just before the first lockdown hit at the start of 2020, Falleyn moved into a flat in London, with no private garden. So, she got involved in caring for a communal outdoor space with her neighbours – at a social distance, of course. She’d been working for a floral design and events styling company at the time, but soon joined the RHS to manage its flower show at Tatton Park, which she still does alongside launching the RHS’ latest addition to its lineup, one that she feels can add real value to people living in cities.

“People are looking for ways to green up and, once they’ve done it with a houseplant, they want to know what they can move onto next. And if you don’t have a garden or a terrace or a balcony, how can you garden in a public sphere? We’ve touched on this at other shows, but it’s going to be a big topic in our Talks Theatre here.”

The RHS Urban Show strikes a balance between what can be done at home but also in a community setting. There’s a particular focus on groups and organisations in the northwest, where the show is being held this year. The RHS started growing these connections when it was developing its latest garden in Salford, RHS Garden Bridgewater, which opened three years ago.

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RHS Urban Show