Founders of indoor plants emporium, In the Garden, mother and daughter team – Nikki and Holly Barsby, are known for their maximalist approach to houseplants and container gardening, where more is more. Winners of an RHS Chelsea Gold Medal winners in 2024 for their ‘Maximalist Verdure’ exhibit, the duo are set to return to the show this year with an exhibit that aims to highlight the wide range of possibilities for houseplants in the home.
Inspired by 17th century Baroque and Victoriana, the immersive, 3D exhibit for the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, features a large table and metal spiral staircase, swathed in a verdant collection of houseplants, including flowering exotics, trailing varieties, foliage and familiar favourites. The indoor garden landscape will be made up of large and tiny specimens with a carpet of houseplants running through it.
“Mum and I are so excited to return to RHS Chelsea this year and to be able to create this dreamscape exhibit in the Great Pavilion. We really want to bring our unique “In the Garden” shopping experience to RHS Chelsea and to show how effective and versatile indoor container gardening can be even if you have limited indoor space and you live in the city in a rented property and you may move from in time,” explained Holly Barsby.
With their ‘right plant, right light and right pot’ approach, the duo hope to inspire visitors to create their own indoor landscapes. To illustrate the versatility of container gardening, the exhibit will also feature the Barsby’s signature assortment of reclaimed vintage vessels, such as pewter goblets, ceramic mantle vases and brass.
Nikki Barsby added, “This is a brand-new design for us and very different from anything we have designed before. It is an island exhibit so visitors can walk around and get a 360- degree view into the stunning foliage filled room and gain a really immersive houseplant experience! Our first ever island exhibit, so this is a challenge – but a challenge that we are very excited and passionate about. We are currently curating around a 1,000 plants to select from and we can’t wait for visitors to see it. We really hope this will be our best exhibit yet!”
