Buy a piece of the Gold Medal Winning RNLI Garden from RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Plants from Chris Beardshaw’s stunning RNLI show garden, part of the new Project Giving Back initiative, will be on sale to the public on Friday 3 June, 10am to 4pm to fundraise for the lifesaving charity.

The sale will give a second life to the mature, show quality plants used in the garden, whilst stocks last. On offer at greatly reduced retail prices, the perennial plants will give buyers the opportunity to purchase their very own piece of Chelsea to enjoy in their gardens for years to come, with all proceeds going to help support the lifesaving work of the RNLI.

The event will be held at the RNLI College, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ.

Working primarily with Kelways Plants, Chris’ plant choices included peonies, geraniums, iris, hostas and ferns, in a soft palette of whites, blues and purples. The garden was designed to be calming and detailed but deliberately reserved to echo the calm and understated nature of the RNLI crew at work.

Some very large structural plants will be included in the sale, so buyers must ensure they bring suitable transport for their purchases.

Award-winning plantsman and designer, Chris Beardshaw said: ‘As a life-long supporter of the RNLI, it was a huge honour to design and create a garden for this lifesaving charity.

‘I’m thrilled that all the elements of the garden, including the plants, will go on to enjoy a second life and legacy outside of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show while continuing to support the RNLI’s lifesaving mission.’

Jayne George, RNLI Fundraising, Marketing and Media Director, said: ‘The plant sale provides us with the opportunity to give these wonderful plants a second life while fundraising for our lifesaving charity, thanks to the Project Giving Back initiative.

‘Chris’s gold-winning design truly embodied the spirit and ethos of our charity. It has been a wonderful opportunity for us to raise awareness of our lifesaving work while also highlighting the RNLI’s rich heritage.

‘We hope the plant sale will also encourage gardeners everywhere to host a fundraising garden party or other event for the RNLI as part of our forthcoming RNLI Gardens campaign.’

RNLI Gardens is the RNLI’s new summer fundraising campaign that invites supporters to host a garden party, BBQ or afternoon tea in aid of the charity’s lifesavers. Help save lives this summer while raising a glass for our volunteers. Visit RNLI.org/GardenFundraiser to find out more.

For more information about the RNLI Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show visit: RNLI.org/Chelsea.

For more information on the plants, subject to availability, visit RNLI.org/PlantList.

Media contacts

For further media information about the RNLI please contact Charlotte Cranny-Evans on 07393 763 780 or [email protected]

For further media information about Chris Beardshaw, please contact: Jane Southcott pr: 07787 527430 E: [email protected]

Notes to editors:

Project Giving Back
Project Giving Back (PGB) is a unique grant-making scheme that provides funding for gardens for good causes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. PGB was launched in May 2021 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on UK charitable fundraising. It will fund gardens inspired by a range of good causes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Find out more at www.givingback.org.uk

Chris Beardshaw
Renowned plantsman, designer and broadcaster Chris Beardshaw is a 14 times RHS gold medal winning designer who won Best in Show for his RHS Chelsea Garden in 2018. His plant filled Show Gardens are always popular with gardeners which has been reflected in him being awarded the BBC People’s Choice award on five occasions. Chris is involved with a wide range of private client garden designs, large scale public horticultural schemes and educational initiatives. His broadcasting career spans over 25 years and he can currently be heard as a regular panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question. For further details on all of Chris’ latest projects, please visit: www.chrisbeardshaw.com

RNLI online

For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.