Peter Rabbit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
The World of Beatrix Potter™ Attraction has joined forces with a top garden designer to create a show-stopping Peter Rabbit™ Herb Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. Richard Lucas, the acclaimed designer of the World of Beatrix Potter™ Attraction’s much-loved Peter Rabbit™ Garden, and already a Chelsea gold medallist is working with the Attraction and plant nursery Hooks Green Herbs to create a magical show garden for the Grand Pavilion. The garden will bring to life the drawings and illustrations from Beatrix Potter’s famous little books and highlight key iconic images from the Tale of Peter Rabbit.
The garden will feature culinary and medicinal herbs, vegetables, wild flowers and some cottage garden favourites too, along with Mr McGregor’s greenhouse and theatrical walls that replicate the Lake District slate and brick walls from the original illustrations, much like the interior set seen at the World of Beatrix Potter exhibition.
The garden has three distinct areas;
The Natural garden, with a “Long Scarlet” radish patch, long grass and some wild flowers. Slate is the backdrop to this part of the garden, with a slate flagstone pathway leading through to the next area.
The Greenhouse garden, featuring an old greenhouse, full of plants, pots and tools, with Peter Rabbit hiding in a watering can. An area of herbs will be planted in a herbaceous border in a cottage garden style. Red brick is used in this area of garden.
Finally, Mr. McGregor’s vegetable plot is surrounded by a clipped box hedge and has an abundance of vegetables and herbs. Peter Rabbit’s blue jacket creates a scarecrow, whilst the gooseberry bushes that he got caught up in are not far away.
Richard Lucas said: “This garden is designed to be viewed from all four sides; I have incorporated structure and focal points plus some tiny details that people will have to look carefully for, such as snails hiding in crevices! My design carefully replicates some of Beatrix Potter’s illustrations, it will be packed full of cottage style flowers, herbs and vegetables. My wish is to make people smile when they see it.”
Andy Poole, Chief Executive from World of Beatrix Potter™ Attraction said: “The garden illustrations for Beatrix Potter’s stories are a key factor in their success, and bring to life the magical environment inhabited by her characters. We have wanted to display a garden at Chelsea for some time and this year all the pieces have come together to enable it to happen. We are very excited at the prospect of showcasing our Attraction at Chelsea and hope it inspires all those that get to see it to come and visit us in the Lake District.”
Hooks Green Herbs, a nursery in Staffordshire who have supplied the Peter Rabbit™ Garden for many years are sourcing and growing all the plants.
Malcolm Dickson from Hooks Green said: “We are busy growing all the herbs, vegetables, wild flowers and other plants needed for the display. There are, of course, some specials like the red flowering “Lipstick” strawberry and Peter’s favourite “Long Scarlet” radish, which looks like a carrot. We will even have the famous blue door and the espalier trees growing against the classic Cumbrian walls. People of all ages love these books and remember the drawings and illustrations. Our garden will bring all those images to life.”