The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has named its Sustainable Products of the Year, and we're impressed by the quality, variety and environmental credentials of the top picks.
Eco-friendly design played a big part in the top Chelsea Flower Show trends, and it's great to see the horticultural event leading the way on highlighting and celebrating gardening products that are getting the balance right between commercial appeal and a commitment to the planet.
The top pick – Ocean Plastic Pots
Chelsea's top pick is the innovative Ocean Plastic Pot. It is exactly what it says – a pot that is made from ocean plastic, more specifically from discarded fishing nets and fishing rope. The attractive shades of blue and green are the natural colors of the fishing nets, and it's a happy coincidence that the plastic produced from them is so pretty. Matching saucers are available for the pots in all three colors.
These aren't the sort of pots you'll want to discard after raising your seedlings, either. Durable, reusable, and recyclable, they can be used indoors or outdoors, making them a great choice if you're keen to create a sustainable garden. We also hope that garden centres will adopt these pots instead of the regular, non-recyclable black plastic pots often sold with plug plants.
The runners-up
The runners-up were no less impressive and feature another product made from ocean plastic, the Dura Ocean garden chair by Distinctive. The stylish egg shape and bright mint color are sure to make it a bestseller, and each chair is made from 3.5 kilograms of discarded fishing nets. You can also get a matching bistro set in the same range.
A special commendation goes to Dalefoot Composts, which took second place. Sourced entirely from UK materials, the compost range is the answer to the soon-to-banned peat-based composts that are bad for the environment. Dalefoot make theirs from sheep's wool, comfrey, and bracken, and ship all over the UK. You can find out more about peat-free compost in our guide too.
Other products awarded by the RHS include a plastic-free portable loo, impeccably made garden furniture, a robot lawn mower, and a stackable vertical gardening station.
The Chelsea Flower Show is making real steps towards making sustainability central to modern gardening, and the highlighting of environmentally-friendly products that are easy to purchase online will hopefully make them popular choices with the country's gardeners.
