Bespoke Galvanised Planters and Pond for Renter’s Retreat Garden at RHS Hampton Court Festival 2023

This July we are proud to be supporting the Wildlife Trusts Renter’s Retreat show garden at RHS Hampton Court by supplying a range of custom steel planters and pond to feature in the garden.  

Garden designer Zoe Claymore contacted us to see if we could help bring her ideas to life in this rather stunning and very topical starter garden.  

About the Garden  

 Around one in three households in England are rented homes and over seven million have access to outdoor space.  85% of England’s population live in urban areas so inspiration such as this garden can really help to show urban dwellers how to make the most of their outdoor space and help wildlife along the way. 

Historically those in rented homes have been less keen to invest time and money into their outdoor spaces due to not being able to take the products away with them when the time comes to move and for fear of upsetting Landlords by making changes to their outdoor spaces.  Zoe has designed a clever garden which features our modular planters that can be fully disassembled and can be easily transported in a car or small van.   

‘There are around 24 million gardens across the UK, and they can play a central role in nature’s recovery, especially in urban areas,’ says Nikki Williams, director of campaigning and communities for The Wildlife Trusts. ‘As part of the government-backed ambition to protect 30 per cent of land for nature, we need to create connected networks of habitats that provide wildlife with places to live – including in towns and cities.’ 

Zoe has designed the garden with the rental market in mind, aimed to highlight how everyone can play a vital role in helping nature, and specifically in urban gardens.  The garden aims to inspire the rental population how they can make their gardens and outdoor spaces wilder; even if they don’t own them.   

The design showcases a host of ideas on how to garden sustainably without the need to dig into soil or attach items to walls.   Zoe has designed the garden based on a shady urban courtyard, to show how even places without much sunlight can be transforms into beautiful spaces for both humans and wildlife.   

Our planters and pond were delivered on a small pallet to Frogheath Landscapes just a few weeks ago and aim to show visitors that large and high-quality galvanised raised beds can be dismantled and moved as and when the owner moves home.   

 We were thrilled when Zoe contacted us and asked us to help and were blown away with her ideas.  Each Galvanised Steel Planter was fabricated in our workshop in Cheshire and then we followed a process of ‘T Washing’ each to create a less uniform more rustic look.   

“ I want to show people, not matter their ownership status, that they can invest in their gardens and that buying once and buying right is important for our long term sustainability. These beautiful and practical planters can be dismantled easily and be taken through a house enabling large planting areas in traditionally difficult spots. They can also be reconfigured differently, depending on the property you are in.  

Working with Lux unique has been a pleasure and the quality of the products they have produced has surpassed my expectations. My number one question during the show build has been about the planters and pond as their quality really stood out on the site. I will definitely be recommending their services to clients in the future – and in fact already have. ”  

About the designer 

Zoe trained in garden design at the Inchbald School of Design in London, graduating in 2022 with a distinction and winning the Dean’s Prize for her rewilding of Ham House meadows.  Since graduating she has worked as an independent designer on a range of spaces in southern England, everything from small urban gardens to large country estates.   

Website: www.zoeclaymore.com 

Instagram: @zoe_claymore 

Here at Lux Unique we offer a bespoke service to our clients which includes designing and fabricating steel products that can fit into even the smallest of spaces, from modular bolt together solutions to fully welded units in galvanised steel, corten Steel or powder coated steel – there really is something for everyone to enhance their outdoor spaces.  

Our steel planters and ponds are built to last and are made from 3mm thick steel which will last for decades, making them a quality investment that can be enjoyed for years to come.  

We are thrilled that the show garden will be re-homed at The Centre for Wildlife Gardening in Peckham where it will be enjoyed for many more years and inspire a new generation of gardeners.  

Discover The Hampton Collection

Exciting news! Zoe Claymore and Lux Unique are delighted to announce that the bespoke beds created for The Wildlife Trusts’: Renter’s Retreat at RHS Hampton Court 2023 have now been turned into an exclusive ready-to-buy range known as The Hampton Collection.