About the Garden
Dibley’s Houseplant Sanctuary is a calming indoor retreat designed to offer a warm and tranquil embrace. Its serene atmosphere is inspired by underwater colour palettes, creating a sense of peaceful immersion.
The design is built around the Welsh concept of Cwtch, a word that expresses a warm, safe, protective cuddle. Through the clever use of diverse houseplants, the space captures this comforting feeling and demonstrates how the presence of greenery can envelop and nurture.
With rare and colourful houseplants increasingly going mainstream, the sanctuary showcases their beauty and accessibility to all plant lovers.
Design Inspiration and Purpose
The design is conceived as a comforting sanctuary that evokes feelings of being held and gently supported.
Two contrasting colour palettes are drawn from the pelagic zone—the open ocean far from shore and sea floor—creating a calm, fluid, and immersive atmosphere.
Visitors enter through two contrasting viewpoints:
- An entrance partially veiled by hanging plants, adding mystery and the sensation of moving through foliage
- A clear view of a vivid living wall, rich in colour and lush textures, offering an immediate visual impact
About the Plants
The design features a living carpet of lush and varied foliage, showcasing the depth and diversity of indoor plants.
Key plants include:
- Streptocarpus ‘Constant Nymph’ – a heritage variety bred 90 years ago, widely loved throughout the twentieth century.
- Hedera helix (various varieties) – chosen for texture and contrasting foliage forms.
- Begonia Rex varieties – demonstrating how houseplants can offer stunning colour even without flowers.
- Gibasis ‘Jose Puig’ – a remarkable hanging plant with delicate cascading growth.
The sanctuary brings together around 350 plants, all expertly grown at Dibley’s Nursery.
Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of the design:
- All show plants are either sold or returned to greenhouse benches.
- Hardware is reused at future shows or within the nursery.
- Every plant is grown and propagated on the Welsh nursery – zero air miles.
- Plants are repurposed for future displays, stock material, or sale.
Dibleys’ wider green credentials include:
- 58 solar panels
- Locally sourced woodchip heating
- Rainwater harvesting from greenhouse roofs
- Energy‑efficient LED lighting
- Sustainable packaging solutions
About the Designer
Lynne Dibley studied at Brighton University, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Three Dimensional Design. This foundation has been central to the distinctive style and craftsmanship seen in Dibleys’ award‑winning displays at Chelsea and other major flower shows.
Dibley’s Achievements
- 35 RHS Chelsea Gold Medals
- Over 200 RHS Gold Medals — more than any other nursery in the UK
- RHS Master Grower (2018)
- Best Exhibit in the Floral Marquee – RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2023 & 2024
- People’s Choice Award – Indoor Plant Garden, Malvern 2025
