Talk of rewilding is everywhere these days and for many it brings a message of hope against the relentless reports of climate change and species loss.  Yet it can be hard to understand how horticulture and landscape design fit into this movement for change.  Recent research indicates that, at an estimated 10 million acres, private gardens in Britain represent a bigger area than all of the country’s nature reserves combined.  It is clear, therefore, that gardeners and designers can play a vital role in creating habitat for our vanishing wildlife.

This talk will explore what rewilding means on both a macro and micro scale, showing how wilding can be brought into landscapes and gardens, no matter what size.  Using examples form their own and others projects, Urquhart & Hunt will look at what a wilder approach to horticulture might look like from a design and land management perspective, incorporating habitat creation and the use of native plants. They  will also discuss their upcoming wilded landscape at the RHS Chelsea Flower show and reflect on the change in aesthetic that a wilder landscape may require from us all.