Making Life Better with Bees – our award-winning balcony garden at RHS Chelsea 2025

It was a joy to be back at RHS Chelsea this May, and this year’s garden was our most successful ever, captivating the judges and public’s attention.

Upon seeing our Balcony Garden – Making Life Better with Bees, visitors were treated to a vibrant garden bursting with colour, nature and sustainability. Inspired by our work in Africa and the link between bees, people and biodiversity, the garden delivered a strong message giving the public ideas to take home to their own garden space.

Making Life Better with Bees – our balcony garden at RHS Chelsea 2025

We started the design journey back in January and teamed up with garden designers Humble-Bee Gardeners, E.H. THORNE (Beehives) Ltd and The London Honey Co. each having been long-time friends and supporters of the charity. From the outset it was important that we convey our mission, combining the work of Bees for Development with our mutual passion of bees and biodiversity creating a Balcony Garden that was vibrant and educational. Traditional English and African beehives sat alongside one another, highlighting the significance of bees not only in the UK but globally.

Features of the balcony garden included a bright hexagonal bench with African fabric cushions, a nod to the geometry of the hive and providing a retreat. A feature wall with vertical planting and solitary bee habitats, showed visitors how to create a living wall for plants and pollinators alike. Planters repurposed from honey barrels and beehives, decorated by the artist Julie Anne Pugh a friend of Bees for Development and The London Honey Co. showed the stylishness and sustainability of reusing and repurposing. A windfallen oak trunk peppered with holes giving another vital habitat to solitary bees also showcased a traditional African log hive celebrated bees and cultural heritage

Pollinator-friendly plants such as Agapanthus, Kniphofia, and Gleditsia ‘Ruby Lace’ thrived in peat-free compost, providing colour and nourishment for bees through the seasons.

Our bright hexagonal bench with African fabric cushions

Repurposed bee hive planters intricately decorated by artist Julie Anne Pugh

While the Balcony Garden was a visual feast, it carried a deeper message and our presence at RHS Chelsea gave us a powerful platform to highlight our work and demonstrate how small-scale, community-based solutions can make a real difference, both here in the UK and around the world.

A true highlight of the week was the visit from our President, Her Majesty The Queen, and His Majesty The King on Press Day. Her Majesty took time to explore the Balcony Garden showing a keen interest in the planting and the story behind every detail. Our stand was also graced by Patrons Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Martha Kearney, whose presence brought further energy and enthusiasm, helping to shine a spotlight on our mission.

A visit from Her Majesty The Queen on Press Day

We were delighted to win the People’s Choice Award for Balcony and Container Gardens

And to our delight we were awarded an RHS Silver-Gilt Medal and won the coveted People’s Choice Award across both the Balcony and Container Garden categories — the public vote meant the world to us, our message appeared to have been appreciated and understood loud and clear!

None of our success could have been possible without our amazing Designers and Sponsors and we would like to share our huge thanks with:

• Garden Designers The Humble Bee Gardeners — award-winning horticulturists from Shropshire for creating the space and planting.
• The skilled craftspeople at E.H. THORNE (Beehives) Ltd, who built the decorative wall, floor and bench and supported every stage of the build.
• The London Honey Co. for their sponsorship, knowledge of bees and design flare.

Our Balcony Garden was more than a garden — it was a call to action. It showed that anyone, anywhere, can help bees and pollinators supporting biodiversity. All it takes is a little space, a few pollinator-friendly plants, and a willingness to care.

The garden will live on at our new apiary sited at our Patron Kate Humble’s Farm Humble By Nature and also at E.H. Thorne (Beehives) Ltd Head Office.

To everyone who visited our garden, supported the build, or simply believes in our mission — thank you. Together, we are truly making life better with bees.

You can support our work around the world by making either a one off or a regular donation – just click the button below:

Our Chelsea Flower Show team 2025