Andover Trees United, award-winning local environmental charitable community organisation, are delighted to be collaborating with renowned local garden designer, Sarah Eberle and MEDITE SMARTPLY, who have chosen Andover Trees, to donate Sarah’s current (2022) garden creation to in Andover, following it’s inclusion in this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Excitement is in full bloom for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (24-28 May 2022), and everyone is not only looking forward to seeing the fabulous gardens, but also seeing what’s in store for them after the world-famous event.

The entirety of the MEDITE SMARTPLY “Building the Future” garden will be reused, with a large part being donated to Andover Trees United, a volunteer-led environmental charity, working closely with schools, communities and authorities to educate, inspire and improve healthy outcomes in conservation, climate action and sustainability.

The charity’s evolving woodland site, ‘Harmony Woods’, represents a 10-year planting project, giving children, young people and all generations inclusive, empowering opportunities to be involved hands-on in taking positive, sustainable climate action. Andover Trees United has planted and grown 12 acres of beautiful and harmonious, natural urban woodland to the north of Andover, improving the local ecology and increasing biodiversity for the benefit of local communities. It has provided and continues to develop a wealth of opportunities for outdoor learning about the natural environment, climate action and sustainability as well as being a hub and outreach source of inclusive community cultural arts and wellbeing projects.

The impressive garden structure, made from MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME, and including SMARTPLY STRONGDECK in its roofing, will be relocated and donated to Andover Trees, who will, share it with the wider community through a variety of projects. Various elements of the plantings and structure will be incorporated into local community urban landscape design and environmental projects.

“We are extremely happy to be donating this garden to connect Andover Trees United’s ongoing conservation and creative projects with local communities. To be able to contribute back to the community and educate people from a young age about the importance of planting trees and their positive impact on the climate change emergency is an incredible opportunity” commented Chris King, Managing Director – Commercial at MEDITE SMARTPLY.

The garden name ‘Building the Future’ highlights the ethos of the garden and its longevity. As a company, MEDITE SMARTPLY is very proud to be leading in more sustainable building practices and sharing a steer on this.

The relocation forms part of MEDITE SMARTPLY’s legacy campaign. Every part of the garden has been relocated for reuse in new projects, thereby reducing waste and continuing to store the carbon captured within the wood panels. This is a further demonstration of the company’s commitment to being fully sustainable and promoting circularity – an aspect that all partners involved in the garden embrace.

“The construction industry needs to do more to avert the climate crisis. We need to embrace the concept of a circular economy; to reuse, recycle and refurbish existing materials to reduce waste and be more sustainable”, says Chris King, MD, MEDITE SMARTLY.

Many of the trees used in the garden will be donated to Andover Trees United to be replanted in Harmony Woods as part of their 10-year planting projects, shared with the community. The remaining trees will be reused by the multi-award-winning garden designer herself Sarah Eberle, in her other garden design projects. Sarah will also be reusing numerous plants; some for her upcoming project at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show and various other landscaping projects.

Regarding the furniture used on the garden, artists Alex and Emma Devereux will be returning them to be reused. Even the fencing around the garden will be reused.

Landform Consulting, who are constructing the garden, will reuse 38 sheets of SITEPROTECT PLUS panels used in the boundary of the garden for site hoarding of future projects.

Wendy Davis, Founder, Andover Trees United says, “We are blessed to have been acknowledged for our conservation work in the community, and approached to be the recipients of this unique RHS Chelsea garden. Our work is very much about empowering partnership in our communities and celebrating and protecting our natural environment, developing creativity and working collaboratively and sustainably. We are thankful to all involved.

With our volunteers and supporters, we jointly continue to empower future generations in the protection of our planet and understanding how to take positive action against climate change, to ensure sustainable outcomes in growing and building healthier communities together”.

Chris King concluded: “We are very excited to see how this project develops in its second life. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is just the beginning!”

Image credits (below): Oliver Dixon photography; Nadine Charlton