About the garden

‘Nice Day For A Green Wedding’ is set at a wedding reception hosted in a banquet hall. Two circular dining tables with 8 places each sit at the front of the space. In the middle of each table, instead of a floral centrepiece, is one planted full of verdant houseplants. A small potted plant with the guests’ names written on the pot (acting as place cards). Behind, framed by an arch of foliage and surrounded by medium sized plants, sits a sweetheart table for the bride and groom.

The design creates an atmosphere of joy and celebration, showcasing houseplants as a sustainable alternative to single-use wedding decorations. It champions the idea of ‘using what we already have’, bringing houseplants – that often sit in the background of our homes – squarely into the foreground.

The resulting atmosphere is one that’s both familiar and homely, but also new and exciting – highlighting a new way for us to think about and use our houseplants. The viewer can see this as sustainable inspiration for their own wedding/events or how to decorate their homes in a more ‘houseplant-foreground’ way.

Does the design promote anything topical or newsworthy?

Sustainability and how we minimise our impact on the environment are at the heart of current political debate. The wedding industry faces significant sustainability challenges, epitomising single-use living and over-consumption. In 2024, the average wedding produced 180 kg of waste including flowers, décor, etc.

The design is intended to encourage viewers to think about their individual contributions, and the positive impacts they can have. While we cannot address large problems like this on our own, we can all do our own bit.

Plants

This garden will be made up of 150-200 houseplants of varying sizes.

Five key plants

For this show garden, the designers has selected houseplants that symbolise aspects of a successful and long-lasting marriage, like ferns that can represent sincerity and new beginnings. Designer, Emma Angold, wants to demonstrate that houseplants can make weddings both sustainable and beautiful.

• Majesty palm: symbol of peace & abundance (In Judaism, palms represent peace and abundance, and Ancient Egyptians saw them as a tree of life.
• Monstera deliciosa: symbol of longevity, respect & honour (According to Chinese symbolism, this plant represents long life and the act of honouring elders and respected figures.)
• Aloe vera: symbol of health & protection (In South Africa, they even hang the aloe vera above the entrances of homes as it’s also said to bring luck.)
• Peace lily: symbol of peace & tranquillity (According to the Chinese art of feng shui, it can cleanse the energy of a room)

Unusual, unfamiliar or unsung plant heroes within the design

The design is all about using underrated houseplants, and showing them off in a familiar context. The appeal is that anyone can do something like this because the houseplants used are ones that people see every day and might not notice. Using well-known plants also lowers the barrier to entry making it feel easier to achieve for themselves.

Where the plants have been grown and suppliers

House of Kojo will be supplying the plants for this design. They propagate some plants in-house and get other stock sourced from UK and Dutch nurseries.

Does the design promote environmental responsibility?

‘Nice Day for a Green Wedding’ is entirely about environmentally responsibility. It displays houseplants as wedding décor, showing that a traditional and elegant wedding can be sustainable.