Battersea dogs get Monty Don garden

Monty Don’s garden for the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show did not end as a temporary showpiece. After the event, the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden was moved across the River Thames to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s London centre, where it is now being used by rescue dogs for exercise, training and rest. The move gave a second life to one of the higher-profile Chelsea gardens from 2025, and turned it into a working space inside one of Britain’s best-known animal rescue charities. ### How did a Chelsea show garden end up at Battersea? The Royal Horticultural Society said the garden was designed by Don for RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 and then gifted to Battersea so it could be used “for years to come.” In its new home, the RHS said, the garden is intended to be a sensory space for rescue dogs and a calm environment where they can exercise, train and relax. (rhs.org.uk) Battersea said the garden had originally been created for Chelsea before being donated by the RHS and BBC Radio 2 to the charity’s London centre. The charity said the design was by Don and horticulturalist Jamie Butterworth. ### What was the garden designed to do for dogs? The RHS said the Chelsea version centered on a lawn for dogs to sprawl, roll and chase balls, with native trees providing shade and planting chosen with dogs in mind. (rhs.org.uk) The organization said Battersea staff would select dog-friendly plants for the relocated version so rescue dogs could use the space safely. (battersea.org.uk) Battersea said the garden now gives dogs a green space to run around, undergo behavioural assessments and meet potential adopters. That makes it more than a display garden: it is part of the charity’s day-to-day work with animals at the centre. ### Who else was involved besides Monty Don? Jamie Butterworth was named by both the RHS and Battersea as the horticulturalist who worked with Don on the project. (youtube.com) BBC Radio 2 was also part of the original Chelsea garden and the later donation to Battersea. Queen Camilla, who is patron of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, officially unveiled the garden at the charity’s London site on July 15, 2025. (battersea.org.uk) Buckingham Palace said she opened the newly installed dog garden and then met staff, volunteers and ambassadors. ### Why does this fit a wider Chelsea Flower Show pattern? (battersea.org.uk) The RHS has increasingly emphasized relocation after Chelsea rather than dismantling gardens at the end of the show. Coverage of the show’s afterlife said repurposing and relocation had become a requirement for Chelsea gardens, giving projects a use beyond the exhibition itself. (royal.uk) In this case, the relocation was unusually direct. Reports on the move said the garden did not have far to travel from Chelsea to Battersea, with plants and materials taken across the river and replanted after the show. ### What is there to watch next? Battersea’s London centre is now the garden’s permanent home, according to the charity and the RHS. (yahoo.com) The site says the space is intended to remain in use as an enrichment area for rescue dogs rather than as a temporary installation. (rhs.org.uk) (independent.co.uk)