About the garden

Award: Silver Gilt Medal

This Indoor Plant Garden reimagined the traditional garden room—often seen as a remote and romantic Victorian space—into a contemporary urban retreat. Inspired by the restorative atmosphere of glass conservatories and orangeries, the design showed that anyone can carve out a small space at home to create their own indoor sanctuary.

Modern eco grow-lighting and self-watering containers allowed a wide variety of houseplants to flourish. Drawing inspiration from Picasso’s 1964 remark—“When Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what colour really is”—the designer incorporated Chagall’s bold and vibrant palette to bring artistic flair to the space. The juxtaposition of colourful flowering plants with richly textured green foliage created a visually stunning and energising display.

Topical Themes & Design Highlights

The garden promoted the idea that houseplants can be more than just green. Alongside calming green foliage, pops of colour inspired by Chagall’s palette transformed the space into a vibrant, uplifting environment. The design addressed a common gap in current indoor plant concepts—lack of colour—and offered a refreshing alternative for plant lovers.

With the right mix of colour and texture, even a plain room could be transformed into a lively, creative space. The garden also encouraged mindfulness and creativity, making it an ideal setting for relaxation and artistic expression.

Plant Selection & Sourcing

The garden featured 80 key plants and an additional 150 background plants to create contrast and depth. Key plants included:

• Streptocarpus ‘Albatross’ – white
• Streptocarpus ‘Dibley’s Patricia’ – deep purple
• Streptocarpus ‘Matilda’ – pink
• Begonia ‘Moulin Rouge’
• Begonia sizemoreae

These strongly coloured plants emphasised the contrast between vibrant blooms and textured green foliage.

Unsung plant heroes included:

• Colourful houseplants – challenging the idea that indoor plants must be green.
• Tillandsia (air plants) – soil-free and ideal for creative displays.
• ZZ plant – resilient and perfect for low-light conditions.
• Kitchen herbs – celebrated for their simplicity and everyday utility.

All plants were grown and propagated at Dibley’s nursery in Wales, eliminating air miles and supporting sustainable horticulture.

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

The garden promoted sustainability through:

• Local propagation – all plants grown at the designer’s Welsh nursery.
• Reuse and repurposing – plants used again for future displays, cutting stock, or sold.
• Green nursery credentials:
  • 58 solar panels
  • Locally sourced woodchip heating
  • Water recycling from greenhouse roofs
  • LED lighting
  • Sustainable packaging