The Queen’s Green Canopy

Plant a Tree for the Jubilee!

Woodland, wildflowers and a Platinum Jubilee have come together to inspire Chelsea Flower Show’s largest garden in 2021 – the eponymous RHS Queen’s Green Canopy Garden to promote the Queen’s very own inspired tree planting initiative.

The garden, conceived by award-winning designer David Dodd, spanned over 400-square metres and featured over Three and a half thousand plants and twenty-one majestic trees. The highlight of the green canopy garden was a resplendent purple woodland created with numerous trees, from Swedish Birch to Beech, proudly standing over a carpet of delicate wild flowers.

A September Chelsea Flower Show was perfectly timed for launching this tree planting initiative as autumn is the best time to plant saplings. The soil is still warm, which encourages root growth to help young trees to become established. 

The Queen’s Green Canopy was launched at the Chelsea Flower Show this September.

The garden featured three hay bale sculptures to represent the partnership between nature and agriculture in the British countryside.

The Largest Show Garden at Chelsea

This show garden was in the largest plot at Chelsea and it is the only one that visitors could walk around on all sides, so it had to be fantastic from all angles. It was also in a triangular space, which is quite tricky for garden designers. Fortunately, the talented David Dodd created a spectacular garden that resembled an actual woodland.

The space representing the woodland floor was filled with beautiful Anemone “September Charm”, Saxifraga “Kinki Purple” and ferns.

Dame Judi Dench, a Queen’s Green Canopy Ambassador, officially launched The Queen’s Green Canopy Garden at the RHS Chelsea flanked by Chelsea Pensioners in their bright red regalia.

This garden looked like it had been there for decades, that’s no mean feat!

This show garden looked like it had been in place for decades, which is difficult to achieve. After the show the trees will be moved to RHS Bridgewater in Salford to create a permanent feature.

To Honour The Queen

This garden was to honour the Queen and leave behind a legacy of greenery for future generation to enjoy. Something for the whole country to create together.

We met Queen’s Green Canopy Garden designer David Dodd!

Garden designer, David Dodd was excited to help launch this initiative at Chelsea that asks the public to join together to leave a lasting legacy of trees for a longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II who has been on the throne for almost 70 years. The key message is that everyone should  “plant a tree for the jubliee,” and since the Queen is the patron of the RHS there seemed no better place to launch it.

David Dodd said, “Whether it be a small single tree in someone’s garden, or getting involved in community projects to plant new woodlands or forests we can all do our part in creating better habitats for wildlife and helping fight climate change.

David’s Queen’s Green Canopy badge

The Queen awarded David with a special brooch to commemorate his work designing this garden. A beautiful design in silver that he wore with pride.

A living legacy of trees

The Queen’s Green Canopy itself is a vast tree-planting initiative across the whole of the UK, in celebration of Her Royal Majesty’s 70th year of reign. Inviting people to plant a tree to commemorate this Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the project combines a love of woodland with a passion of tackling the climate crisis. Aiming to create a living legacy, everyone from solo garden lovers to business and community groups will be encouraged to mark this occasion with a newly-planted tree.

There is a plethora of advice and even free sapling trees being donated for the initiative, all be of which can accessed on the The Queen’s Green Canopy website.

The Queen commemorated her coronation by planting a tree and is pictured here with Prince Charles, a passionate gardener and climate activist, planting a tree in March 2021 at Windsor Castle to start the initiative for the jubilee.

Chilstone goes platinum  

We are also approaching our  70-year anniversary at Chilstone. We started our business on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. To celebrate 70 wonderful years handcrafting our detailed and beautiful garden ornaments, and also to join in with royal jubilee celebrations, we have launched a Chilstone platinum range. The first of these products are perfect for tree planting this Autumn. Each platinum range planter is large enough to plant your own tree in any space, prefect for patios, gardens. They also work well indoors for orangeries and conservatories, perfect for people who like tropical trees.

Our planters can be engraved to make them extra-special.

Chilstone Planters fit for a tree

Those raring to grab a shovel and get planting might be interested in our tree planter; the Large Semi-Sphere Planter and Large Kent Bowl, both elegant and modern options for Jubilee tree planting, both able to accommodate plants and trees with a larger root ball. The Victoria Box planter is another stylish choice, perfect for topiary trees, in a classic yet modern design, complete with ball feet.

Fancy adding some Regency-style flare to your outdoor space? Try the oversized Wentworth Urn, commissioned for a private estate, making it the perfect tree planter for growing a tree in honour of the Queen.

Another timeless design is the Italian Planter, created from mouldings dating back to the 17th century, sure to give an outdoor space a grand and regal feel.

Looking for more planting inspiration? Take a look around the full collection of Chilstone urns, here.

Bay trees in a pair of sleek Kent Bowls

How to plant a tree for the Queen’s Green Canopy

Everyone in the UK is encouraged to get involved in planting a tree for the jubilee, whether you are an individual with a little space or garden, a school or community group or a business like us.

There is so much help, advice and even free sapling trees being donated for the initiative, be sure to thoroughly peruse The Queen’s Green Canopy website for all the information.

Chilstone’s Grounds

At Chilstone we are blessed with many trees. They are magnificent in autumn when the leaves turn vibrant shades of burnt red and yellow. Dogs are welcome on leads, so why not take a stroll around our show gardens and admire the view after your appointment? Call our friendly team to book your visit.

Chilstone’s classic William Kent Urn on a pedestal.