Longleat is set to bring a touch of the Australian outback to Wiltshire after agreeing to rehome one of this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens beside its koala habitat.
The garden, Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth, will be dismantled after the Chelsea show in May before being rebuilt at the estate later this summer as part of Longleat’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
Once complete, the installation will sit close to Koala Creek, home to the only Southern Koalas in Europe, creating what Longleat believes will be one of the country’s few permanent Australian themed gardens connected directly to wildlife conservation.
The project forms part of a wider collaboration involving Journey Beyond, South Australian Tourism and Tourism Western Australia, taking inspiration from the Indian Pacific rail route stretching between Adelaide and Perth.
Unlike many Chelsea gardens that disappear once the crowds have gone home, this one is intended to become a long term feature within the safari park’s walking area.
While the original planting used at Chelsea will be relocated to Kensington Gardens, Longleat says a revised planting scheme will be needed to suit the estate’s heavier clay ground and changing Wiltshire conditions.
The garden itself has been designed using reclaimed timber, natural stone and low carbon materials, with warm ochre tones intended to reflect the colours of the Australian landscape.
James Dare, Head of Facilities at Longleat, said the attraction would offer visitors something a little different from the usual safari experience.
“We are really excited to be part of this project and to give the garden a long-term future here at Longleat as part of our 60th anniversary year,” he said.
“To have an Australian inspired garden become part of the walking safari is something genuinely different for us and ties in naturally with our long-standing involvement in koala conservation work in South Australia.”
He added that the original Chelsea design would need adapting for Wiltshire’s climate while preserving its overall atmosphere.
“The conditions at Longleat are obviously very different from Chelsea, so we will be adapting parts of the planting palette for the Wiltshire environment while keeping the same overall atmosphere and character of the original design.”
Designer Max Parker-Smith said the move would allow the garden’s environmental message to continue beyond the flower show itself.
“The relocation plan allows the garden’s themes around conservation, climate resilience and Australian landscapes to continue long after Chelsea finishes,” he said.
“It also creates a meaningful permanent connection between the garden and Longleat’s conservation work.”
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 19 to 23 May, with the recreated garden expected to open to visitors at Longleat later in the summer.
