The Chelsea Pensioners to Have a garden of their own at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025

The London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden is sponsored by leading real estate developer London Square, pledging its support as the inaugural corporate patron for the important work and heritage of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to the Chelsea Pensioners. The Royal Hospital Chelsea provides the magnificent backdrop to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with the show taking place in the grounds of the Grade I and Grade II* listed landmark.

London Square is supporting the Royal Hospital Chelsea in its work with its resident Chelsea Pensioners and veterans’ outreach work in the community, with the launch of garden workshops for non-resident veterans. On discovering the passion many Chelsea Pensioners share for gardening, London Square proposed creating a garden designed specifically for the Chelsea Pensioners at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. After the show, the garden will be relocated within the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Award-winning designer Dave Green is working closely with the Chelsea Pensioners to create a garden shaped by their stories and past experiences, while aiming to reflect the 330-year-old heritage of the Royal Hospital as: “a home for soldiers broken by age and war.” The garden will be a private yet accessible space to be enjoyed by different generations, the Pensioners, their families, friends and non-resident veterans, fostering a spirit of participation and keeping active in later years.

The design will focus on the contrasting roles of the Pensioners – the ceremonial with their everyday lives. The woodland space, filled with striking trees and a sheltered, accessible central space with seating offers an immersive, natural environment to encourage the Pensioners, their families and visiting veterans to come together, away from public view. Vibrant planting to the garden boundaries will reflect the public life of the Pensioners, with calmer and more textural planting to the centre capturing their more private moments.

The planting in the garden includes trees and plants selected for climate resilience, with the path and the paving will be made from reclaimed stone and selected to reflect materials used in the historic setting of the Royal Hospital. Throughout the garden, low carbon materials have been selected, with a cement-free build and products that are highly sustainable.

London Square, an Aldar-owned company and a leading developer of award-winning new homes of all tenures across the capital, became neighbours of the Royal Hospital Chelsea earlier this year when the company purchased a site next door in Tite Street, Chelsea.

We are delighted that a garden that our residents, the Chelsea Pensioners have helped design, will be on show at the Chelsea Flower Show, thanks to the support of London Square. Many of the Chelsea Pensioners have a passion for gardening and enjoy the beautiful green spaces across our site. The relocation of this garden will mean that it will continue to inspire and be enjoyed, for many years to come.

Martin Field, Director of Public Engagement at Royal Hospital Chelsea

The Royal Hospital Chelsea’s work with the Pensioners and non-resident veterans is inspirational and we will be supporting their vital work over the coming years. Throughout our developments, we believe that attractive, communal green spaces provide an important place for residents of all ages to come together and we are thrilled to work with the Chelsea Pensioners on a garden specially designed for them. Our work with the Royal Hospital Chelsea and the Pensioners reflects that ethos.

London Square’s Chief Executive Officer Adam Lawrence

With several veteran relatives, I have first-hand experience of the sacrifice the armed forces personnel and their families make for the benefit of the country. It is a privilege to be able to work with London Square, the staff at the Royal Hospital and the Chelsea Pensioners for this project. The London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden will be an accessible, sustainable and social space that will improve the well-being of the Chelsea Pensioners and their visitors

The garden’s designer Dave Green

This will be the third garden sponsored by London Square. A Corner of a London Square, designed by Jo Thompson in 2014 won Gold. The London Square Community Garden in 2023, designed by James Smith was also awarded a Gold medal.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place from 20th to 24th May 2025. For more details, www.rhs.org.uk