RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023: “The Folio Society’s Reading Room Garden”

The Folio Society’s Reading Room Garden is a green sanctuary designed for relaxing in the company of a good book. The garden embraces the transportive effect that books can have. With summers becoming warmer, drought tolerant planting is a sustainable and practical choice for city centre balconies.
 
The space immediately outside the balcony doors is surrounded with plants creating a green oasis – a bubbling water feature creates white noise, zoning out the sounds of the city beyond. Around the corner, the space opens out to oak seating for enjoying the view or socialising.

The back wall is decorated with hand-crafted oak cobbles (the galls found on oak trees were used in ink production up until the 20th century). Designed to be lit from behind, casting interesting shadows at dusk and night-time, this wall also features a cut-out, reminiscent of bookends.
 
Encouraging a sense of calm away from technology, this space celebrates the importance of reading - for fun and as a way to improve mental wellbeing. The design could be adjusted for different households – whether a family with young children learning to read, teenagers studying for exams, busy professionals seeking solitude after a stressful day at work or retirees engrossed in a new novel.

Read more about the garden here: https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/blog/this-folio-life-the-folio-society-s-reading-room-garden/

Composite decking provided by London Stone: https://www.londonstone.co.uk/composite-decking/designboard/polar/