Songbird populations in the UK have dropped by 50% in just two generations – and continue to decline. Once common, species such as the tree sparrow have now become rare sightings. Apart from the joy they bring to all, birds are a critical part of the ecosystem, dispersing seeds, keeping the balance between plants, herbivores, predator, and prey, and recycling nutrients. We need them for our own survival.
The SongBird Survival charity is dedicated to halting and reversing the alarming population decline of songbirds and other small birds. By supporting scientific research into the causes of decline, the charity can offer practical expert advice on how we can all help to protect and support birds and wildlife, including in our own gardens and green spaces. Only with detailed scientific study can we truly understand the causes and identify the drivers behind continued songbird declines.
The 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show SongBird Survival Garden highlights the plight songbirds, aims to inspire the next generation of songbird champions and raise awareness of the charity’s works.
Susan Morgan, CEO of SongBird Survival said: “The decline in songbird numbers is devastating and we simply cannot allow gardens to fall silent. We know people want to do more to help in their own gardens to ensure songbirds have a future. Thanks to the sponsorship from Project Giving Back, we want our beautiful RHS Chelsea garden to inspire visitors, giving them advice about what to plant and grow for birds, while also motivating them to encourage the next generation of songbird champions in their children and grandchildren. We want people to know that everyone can make a difference to the survival rates of songbirds and that by taking positive action together we can ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the dawn chorus that we were privileged to grow up with.”
The garden design
Designed by Nicola Oakey, the garden will focus on the three key elements of shelter, water and food – vital in supporting bird life.
Supported by Project Giving Back, Oakey has designed a playful, immersive garden that centres around the narrative of a bird’s daily life. The design is inspired by the movement and perspective of a bird, foraging for food and water while moving between points of safety and shelter. Two pathways weave between layers of planting, mimicking how birds move through a network of cover.
The garden’s focal point is a distinctive human-sized birdhouse den created from reclaimed materials. The den is decorated with hand-crafted metalwork motifs created by Cambridgeshire-based artist, Jeni Cairns. Intricate circular motifs, plasma-cut from repurposed oil drums, depict six key songbirds – greenfinches, starlings, yellowhammers (pictured), skylarks, willow tits and house martins, all of which are currently on UK Red List.
Multi-stemmed trees provide spring blossom to attract insects and berries in Autumn/Winter and an abundance of branches offers birds places to perch, nest and shelter. Structural hedging creates ‘highways’ that birds can use to safely navigate through the garden. Trees and shrubs used include Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’, Ribes nigrum ‘Ben Connan’ and Taxus baccata – chosen for their berries and hips.
The garden will be built by Crowton Rowarth Ltd.
The Designer
Nicola Oakey studied at the Pickard School of Garden Design, after which she joined the Homebase Garden Academy scheme in 2014. She runs her garden design studio in Rutland and was a finalist in the 2018 RHS Young Designer of the Year.
Although this is her first RHS Chelsea garden, Oakey is very familiar with the show on account of her florist, orchid growing parents whom regularly created the Orchid Society of Great Britain stand at RHS Chelsea Flower Show between 1978-1990 – winning seven Gold medals during that time.
Oakey said: “It has been a long-held dream to design a garden at RHS Chelsea. Partnering with a cause I feel so passionate about is really important to me and I’m delighted to be working with SongBird Survival to help raise awareness of the charity’s vital work and to share our love of songbirds.”
Following the show, the garden will be moved to the Neighbourhood Network charity, who manage a busy community centre in Bransholme, Hull, East Yorkshire. The charity aims to support and empower people to create safer and healthier environments in which to live and work, improving people’s lives, health, and well-being in the long term.
Hattie Ghaui, CEO of Project Giving Back, says: “There is something quite magical about thinking about a garden or green space from a bird’s perspective so I’m really looking forward to seeing this garden come to life at RHS Chelsea in May. Encouraging and inspiring people to plant with birds in mind is a joyful concept for the show and the joy doesn’t stop there – the garden will go on to relocate to an urban community in Hull, creating
an oasis for birds in the city.”
