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Here for Humanity: the British Red Cross's first garden at the Chelsea Flower Show

Our ‘Here for Humanity’ garden, inspired by Red Cross founder Henri Dunant, will be showcased between 20-24 May 2025

 

 

 

An illustration of the British Red Cross's garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Against a backdrop of trees, Alpine plants and column-like planters with a water feature flowing throughout

As spring blossoms back to life, the gardening world has its sights set on the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show, held every year in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. 

This year, the British Red Cross is proud to have its first ever garden on display. 

The garden, which is a tribute to our volunteers and to the Red Cross’s visionary founder (and first volunteer) Henri Dunant, includes plants from across the world.  

 

Gardeners John Warland and Tom Bannister pictured at Kew Gardens, London

Gardeners John Warland and Tom Bannister pictured at Kew Gardens in London. PHOTO: Jo Metson Scott/British Red Cross

Finding inspiration for the garden

Garden designers John Warland and Tom Bannister travelled to Northern Ireland to seek inspiration for the design, visiting the Giant’s Causeway along the way. 

The UNESCO World Heritage site has inspired artists for generations, with its world-famous hexagonal basalt columns rising from the coastline. 

There are approximately 40,000 of the columns, which differ in size but fit seamlessly together. John and Tom’s design similarly showcases interlocking stone columns, referencing the over 190 national societies of the Red Cross around the world. 

“It’s exploratory: we’re doing something that has never been seen before,” says John. Along with the construction element of the garden, John and Tom are also working with alpine plants, which are notoriously high maintenance. 

“Nursery growers across the UK have alpines that could be ten years old but are no bigger than a postage stamp,” he explains. “Usually you’d expect something on a smaller scale – using alpines to create a show garden is very ambitious!”

 

Two men seen climbing over the basalt columns at the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland

John and Tom visiting the Giant's Causeway. PHOTO: Rob Durston/British Red Cross

Plants that represent the Red Cross around the world

The alpines featured in the ‘Here for Humanity’ garden include plants from Afghanistan, Turkïye, Morocco and the UK, representing the Red Cross’s humanitarian work around the world. The alpines themselves represent humanity’s ability to survive and thrive in even the most extreme conditions.

While in Northern Ireland, John and Tom also met Hannah, whose home in Belfast was flooded by Storm Bert in November 2024. On the day of the storm and in the days that followed, the British Red Cross supported Hannah and her family, offering counselling, advice and cups of tea. 

“It was so cold, but the Red Cross teams were there every day,” says Hannah. “It was lovely to have someone on your side.”

 

Gardeners John Warland and Tom Bannister meet Hannah, whose house was flooded by Storm Bert in November 2024. 

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The Swiss origins of the Red Cross

The 1859 Battle of Solferino is where the Red Cross’s story began. Swiss businessman Henri Dunant was horrified by the devastation he witnessed in the aftermath of the battle, in which over 30,000 troops are believed to have died. 

He proposed the creation of relief societies, trained in peacetime, to provide neutral and impartial help to relieve suffering in times of war. Neutrality and impartiality remain two of the Red Cross’s fundamental principles to this day. 

“The British Red Cross is an organisation that deserves to tell its story,” says John. “It has an incredible history which is worthy of recognition and celebration and its impact and presence in the world today, and ambition to be there for those in crisis for the next century, is beyond inspiring.”

 

Visit the British Red Cross's garden

The ‘Here for Humanity’ garden will be launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, which takes place in the Royal Hospital Grounds, Chelsea, from Tuesday 20 May to Saturday 24 May 2025. 

The modular design of the garden also means that it can live on after the show, and will be relocated to the grounds of Maudsley Hospital, South London, where it will be a space for patients, carers and staff to relax and enjoy the healing power of nature. 

 

Plants featured in the 'Here for Humanity' garden

  • Pinus cembra – Swiss pine, representing the Red Cross’s origins in Switzerland
  • Saxifraga x urbium – London pride, highlighting the British Red Cross’s role in the UK since 1870
  • Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinium – edelweiss
  • Tulipa var. – tulips, representing the work of the Red Cross in Turkïye after 2023’s devastating earthquake
  • Dianthus cruentus – carnations

 

 

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