About the garden

Award: Gold Medal

Neo Flora transported visitors into the heart of a teenager’s bedroom in an urban setting, blending a grunge cyberpunk aesthetic with a newfound love for indoor plants. Inspired by the moody visuals of TV shows like Arcane and the neon glow of cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Las Vegas, the space featured dark walls, distressed furniture, alternative band posters, and bold LED strip lighting in electric blue, magenta, and green.

The room’s messiness and vibrant neon tones reflected the emotional turbulence of adolescence, while the calming presence of houseplants and hydroponic propagations—including a wardrobe waterfall and flowing propagation area—brought balance and softness to the chaos.

Tech Meets Nature

Plants were propagated soillessly in clear acrylic and glass containers filled with nutrient-rich water, showcasing their root systems. Visible tubing and reservoirs added a tech-inspired, experimental edge. Grow lights in pink, purple, blue, red, and white were placed throughout the room, ensuring the plants thrived in the low-light environment while enhancing the cyberpunk aesthetic.

• Under-bed lighting illuminated tropical plants.
• Succulents were positioned near grow lights for optimal exposure.
• Understory plants like monsteras, philodendrons, and begonias occupied shadier corners.

Mental Health & Urban Nature

The designers used the space to highlight the rising levels of anxiety and depression among teenagers, reflecting their mental state through the room’s design—chaotic, dark, and emotionally charged. The inclusion of plants offered a counterbalance, showing how nature’s calming influence can break through even in the most urban, imperfect spaces.

The garden aimed to inspire young people to embrace planting, demonstrating that houseplants can thrive in any lifestyle. With over 500 children a day referred to mental health services for anxiety in England (2023–24), and new housing regulations potentially reducing natural light, Neo Flora offered a timely and powerful message: plants can be therapeutic, accessible, and transformative.

Plant Selection & Symbolism

The garden featured around 200 houseplants and propagations, chosen for their visual impact, accessibility, and symbolism:

Five Key Plants

• Monstera deliciosa – hydroponically displayed in a glass bowl, underlit to reveal roots.
• Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos) – versatile and forgiving, featured throughout the room.
• Columnea arguta – trailing plant used as a curtain alternative.
• Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Rubin Star’ – vivid pinks reflecting the room’s personality.
• Athyrium niponicum (Japanese Painted Fern) – colourful filler plant, easy to care for.

Unusual & Unsung Heroes

• Alternanthera ficoidea ‘Partytime’ – bright pink foliage, easy to propagate.
• Begonia brevirimosa – a nod to botanical institutions like Kew and Eden.
• Colocasia PHARAOH’S MASK (‘Cophama’) – edgy veining, sold as dormant corms.
• Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’ – consistent variegation, ideal for low light.
• Coleus ‘Skeletal’ – alien-like, newly launched in the UK.
• Alocasia Longiloba ‘Purple’ – vampiric aesthetic, perfect for YA fiction fans.

All plants were chosen to inspire curiosity and creativity, encouraging young people to explore the diversity of houseplants.

Plant lists were provided by the designer as a guide, based on the time of year, location, and client brief. Final plant selections depended on growing conditions and availability, and while updates were made where possible, accuracy could not be guaranteed.

Environmental Responsibility

Neo Flora promoted environmental responsibility by:

• Encouraging teenagers to connect with nature through houseplants.
• Showcasing creative, low-barrier ways to display and care for plants.
• Fostering an eco-conscious mindset through design and storytelling.

Plants were sourced from UK and international suppliers, with a focus on accessibility and sustainability.