The RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, designed especially for canines was showcased at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Landscape design by Monty Don.
Much-loved former broadcaster of the Chelsea Flower Show and esteemed gardener Monty Don stepped out into the show garden spotlight, bringing his own design to 2025’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in Chelsea, London.
The RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden is a celebration of the connection between people, plants and their canine companions. Aimed at being equally enjoyable for both dogs and their humans, the space featured areas for play, rest and discovery, with a focus on plants that are safe and unsafe for dogs.
Designed alongside his golden retriever, Ned, the garden included pathways inspired by the routes Ned naturally created as he wandered through the planting.
Monty’s vision for the garden
Monty Don’s vision for the garden was simple: to reflect the special place dogs hold in our lives. He set out to design a space that wasn’t just for dogs to enjoy, but also about them — inviting people to think more carefully about what they plant in their own gardens.
The planting scheme combined familiar and much-loved species, while gently raising awareness of plants that can be harmful to dogs and other pets. A generous lawn offered room for rolling and play, while a dedicated area highlighted plants to avoid, adding an educational layer to the garden’s overall purpose.
How the garden was designed
The pathways in Monty Don’s garden weren’t just thoughtfully placed, they were instinctively chosen. With the help of his golden retriever, Ned, the routes were shaped by real movement, not just human design.
Jamie Butterworth, who worked alongside Monty to bring the garden to life, laid it out at his Form Plants nursery near Woking and Ned was given the freedom to roam. “To keep the garden as authentic as possible, Monty enlisted the help of Ned to design the paths that intersect through the planting,” explained Jamie. Ned followed his nose and forged the routes that we then recreated at the Show Garden.
What resulted was a design that moved with the natural behaviour of dogs.
“We had imagined that Ned would create sweeps and curves through the planting, or at least that is what we had designed. However, every time he ran off, he returned to Monty via the same route, and as such we have changed the design accordingly,” says Jamie.
At the heart of the garden, a neatly mown lawn gave dogs space to roll, sprawl, nap and chase — the sort of movement dogs love, supported by a soft green surface. A large tree offered shade across the grass, with sculptural topiary and alliums mimicking balls scattered around the space.
The lawn extended into longer grass, spring-flowering bulbs and a “tameflower” meadow that echoed the wild while remaining safe and tended. Brick paths added a sense of structure, with long lines drawing the eye, in a nod to Monty’s own Longmeadow garden. One path invited visitors through the garden while another led to a summerhouse.
For humans, there was a quieter section with a more refined planting space set aside for supervised dogs and their people to sit, reflect and enjoy the detailed layers of the planting scheme.
Contractor and Plantsman Jamie Butterworth and Monty Don, who designed the garden, pictured in The RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The final garden is a heartfelt tribute to the bond between people and their dogs and a space that welcomes and celebrates canine activity.
To reflect the role dogs play in both our lives and our gardens, the pathway running through the space was inscribed with the names of dogs belonging to BBC Radio 2 presenters and RHS ambassadors, including Monty’s own dog, Ned.
The garden’s next chapter is at Battersea, where it will continue to offer comfort and enjoyment for rescue dogs.
Key features
Monty Don’s ultimate dog garden included the following plants & special touches:
- Daisies, dandelions and clover (transplanted from RHS Garden Wisley into the lawn). These plants provide essential pollen for wildlife and help the turf withstand drought. They improve the lawn’s resilience and are ideal for a space designed for dogs to enjoy.
- Tall meadow grasses — planted in swathes, these grasses offer soft, natural areas perfect for dogs to lounge and relax.
- Dogwoods — included to add structure and interest to the planting, reflecting the garden’s dog-focused theme.
- Spherical alliums — chosen to evoke the shape of balls dogs love to chase, adding a playful element to the garden
- Terracotta pots embossed with pawprints — these pots, inspired by Monty Don’s dog Ned, add a personal and whimsical touch to the planting scheme.
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After being showcased at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (May 2025) the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden (except the plants harmful to dogs) will live on across the River Thames at Battersea for all the rescue dogs and the people who work and volunteer there to enjoy.
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Monty Don
Monty Don O.B.E. is the UK’s leading garden writer and broadcaster. He has been making television programmes for over thirty years on a range of topics, spanning travel, craft, outdoor living and, principally, gardening. He has been lead presenter of the BBC’s Gardeners’ World since 2003 and since 2011 the programme has come from his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire.
Monty appears live in public at key literary and gardening events through the year. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in H.M. The Queen’s Birthday Honours, 8 June 2018 and the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2022.
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Photography by Oliver Dixon Photography
Contractor and plantsman: Jamie Butterworth
