An imaginative garden called ‘A Place to Be…’ – which features a working monorail – is set to star at this year’s prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
17 March 2025
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An imaginative garden called ‘A Place to Be…’ – which features a working monorail – is set to star at this year’s prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
17 March 2025
Designed as a sanctuary for children whose daily routines have been upended by hospital stays, treatments and the concerns of loved ones, the garden offers a space where they can have fun, explore and reconnect with their imagination. Prioritising play and escapism, the garden features a monorail, an innovation never seen before at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Within ‘A Place to Be…’ children can ride the monorail through the garden, arriving at The Nest, a secluded structure constructed from steam bent hazel. This cosy hideaway offers complete privacy while still allowing children to observe the world unnoticed. Here they can feel safe and calm whilst also enjoying a space built for adventure and populated with wonderful interactive games and thoughtful books.
For those who can’t ride the monorail, the garden also includes a walking route passed a shiny, oversized feature tap, that runs with a continuous stream of cool water. Alongside this will be an interactive pad that when pressed will create bubbles to appear in the still water of a tranquil pond.
Sensory plants enhance the experience, with soft-to-the-touch grasses like Melica altissima ‘Alba’ and Stipa tenuissima ‘Pony Tails’. Meanwhile, playful bulbs like Allium ‘Forelock’ and Allium ‘Hair’ add whimsical shapes and a sense of fun to the space.
The Show Garden ‘A Place To Be…’ is the work of North Yorkshire-based garden designer Tom Clarke, in collaboration with Ros Coutts-Harwood. Their motivation to give children affected by cancer the chance to escape from the day-to-day realities of treatment and hospital visits.
Following the prestigious event the garden will be relocated to Raines Retreat in Allerston, near Pickering, North Yorkshire. This new retreat – opening this Spring – is the first of its kind in the UK, and will offer any family affected by childhood cancer the chance for a free holiday.
Both the Retreat and the ‘A Place To Be…’ garden are funded by leading childhood cancer charity Children with Cancer UK.
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their world and the lives of those around them alters in an instant. In the UK, ten children and young people are diagnosed with the disease every day, and sadly, around 250 a year lose their lives.
This new garden follows Tom’s success at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, where his ‘Raines Repurposed’ Balcony Garden – also sponsored by Children with Cancer UK – won both a Silver Gilt medal and the People’s Choice Award for Best Balcony/Container Garden. ‘Raines Repurposed’ will also be installed – on one of the terraces – at Raines Retreat.
Tom Clarke, the designer behind the ‘A Place to Be…’ said:
We wanted to create a space where children could use their imagination and immerse themselves in a joyful, colourful world that offers a welcome escape from the realities of treatment.
We’ve filled the garden with vibrant colours and sensory plants to enhance the experience. Soft grasses like Sesleria autumnalis invite touch, while fragrant herbs such as Satureja douglasii or ‘Indian Mint’ provide a soothing scent. Every element is designed to help children find their own little retreat, even if just for a moment.
Amar Naher, CEO at Children with Cancer UK, said:
At Raines Retreat, our mission is to provide children with cancer a place where they can escape, play and simply be kids.
While families need spaces to recharge, both physically and emotionally, and connect with others who share similar experiences, children also deserve a chance to step away from hospital machinery and the concerns of their loved ones.
We can’t wait to open the garden to our brave and resilient community, and we hope it becomes a space where children can dream, play and imagine a world beyond their diagnosis.
About Children with Cancer UK:
Children with Cancer UK is the leading children and young people’s cancer charity in the UK. Our vision is for every child and young person to survive cancer. We are working to improve survival rates and the long-term quality of life for those that do, we are also striving to find ways to prevent cancer in the future. We are dedicated to raising and investing funds into vital research that helps us understand childhood cancers and improves treatments. We support families as they navigate treatment and life beyond cancer. What began as a small memorial charity in 1988, has evolved into the leading charity for children and young people affected by cancer, raising more than £300 million and investing in over 300 pioneering research projects.
