IKEA x Tom Dixon Chelsea Flower Show garden revealed
Chelsea Flower Show groundbreaking garden by IKEA and Tom Dixon is a state of the art masterpiece in sustainability, winning a silver medal at 2019’s show
Image: IKEA
IKEA and Tom Dixon’s ground-breaking garden, “Gardening Will Save The World” has been revealed at Chelsea Flower Show 2019 and the garden has just been awarded a silver medal. Exploring alternative, local and more sustainable ways of growing food is essential in our current climate, IKEA has collaborated with world-renowned designer Tom Dixon to explore how democratic design principles can be applied to urban farming.
The garden highlights the importance of sustainable growing, looking at the contrast of the hyper-natural and hyper-tech to encourage growing and is split into two levels, featuring over 4,000 plants.
Image: IKEA x Tom Dixon garden
Demonstrating how people can contribute to the movement of growing at home, and make a difference to reducing food waste, as well as broadcasting the beauty and functional importance of horticulture, the garden will be at Chelsea Flower Show from today to 25th May 2019 and features exclusive prototypes of a new IKEA x Dixon range coming in 2021.
Tom Dixon says, “‘As part of the Chelsea Flower Show, we have designed and realised an experimental model for growing plants in the urban environment. Aiming to give back to cities and create productive landscapes within urban zones, the garden includes a raised modular landscape with edible and medicinal plants and an enclosed based garden fuelled by hydroponic systems and controllable lighting.”
Image: Exterior of the IKEA x Tom Dixon garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2019
Following Chelsea Flower Show, the garden will be donated to Participatory City, an innovative practical participation platform, that includes supporting greening and urban farming projects in Barking and Dagenham, East London. Parts of the garden will be re-created at The Warehouse, the largest public makerspace in London to help inspire and enable more people to enjoy it and learn about the importance of growing food locally.
Tessy Britton from Participatory City says “Our five-year project to boost the collective efforts to create a circular economy from the ground up, and with residents at the heart, will really benefit from having the garden re-installed here and for people who live and work in the borough to enjoy. “
Image: IKEA x Tom Dixon
The exhibition will also offer an exclusive look during a media preview at some of the first prototypes of product ideas that Tom Dixon has designed on urban growing, which will be available globally at IKEA stores in 2021. This coming range is the second part of the project and collaboration between IKEA and Tom Dixon with the ambition to find affordable and sustainable solutions to grow plants and vegetables in our homes and urban environments.
James Futcher, Creative Leader at IKEA Range and Supply, says, “For IKEA, this project is about bringing attention to the future of the environment and the importance of growing food locally. We want to create smart solutions to encourage people and make it easier to grow plants themselves anywhere they can, whether that’s in their community garden, rooftop or in containers on balconies and window sills.”
We can’t wait for this collection to launch for our own gardens.
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