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Bringing organic to Chelsea
RHS Chelsea Flower Show will get one of its first completely organic show gardens this September.
3 September 2021
Main image: The Great Pavilion at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
A sculpture built from reclaimed computer circuitry, lime-soaked hessian, native woodland flowers and living fungi will make its debut at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, after Enmeshed: Positive Pathways secured one of just three highly sought-after sustainability slots at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show (19-23 May).
The installation is a collaboration between Somerset-based botanical artist Dimitris ‘Dimi’ Koutroumpas and floral designer and curator Gaia Eros.
It draws a deliberate parallel between two of the planet’s most powerful networks: the human-built internet — the world wide web — and the underground mycelium that connects trees and other woodland plants to sustain ecosystems: the wood wide web. Both, the artists argue, are mutually beneficial systems of exchange which enable life to flourish.
At the heart of Enmeshed is a striking idea: technology in collaboration with nature to drive regeneration.
The sculpture’s base is built from upcycled circuitry and communications hardware recovered by lead sponsor RELOVE Technology, a certified B-Corp that has diverted more than 18,000 tonnes of e-waste from landfill and given nearly 100 million devices a second life.
‘At RELOVE Technology, we firmly believe that our lives, our planet and our future depend on how we respect, protect and regenerate the world around us.
‘For over 20 years, we have been committed to reducing the environmental impact of technology by recovering, refurbishing and redistributing unwanted devices. During this time, we have prevented more than 18,000 tonnes of e-waste from going to landfill and have given nearly 100 million devices a second life.
‘We are passionate about driving sustainable change and are proud to be the headline sponsor of an installation that so powerfully reflects our mission and values.’
CHRIS MCBRIDE MBE
Co-founder, RELOVE Technology
The concept draws on mycologist Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled Life and the work of ethno-botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer. It is rooted in the idea of biomimicry: that humanity’s most effective systems already mirror nature’s own — and that consciously following those patterns could unlock sustainable change.
‘The concept of biomimicry is central to our exhibit. The human-created internet — the world wide web, symbolised in the plinth on which Enmeshed stands — can be seen to mimic the vast underground plant network known as mycelium: the wood wide web. Both are examples of different species working together out of individual survival needs towards mutually beneficial outcomes. Within this network, species take turns at being ‘sources’ and ‘sinks’ for energy.
‘Our hope for Enmeshed is to spread a message that it’s time for humans to switch from sinks to sources of benefit to the planet we inhabit — and that by mirroring successful natural networks and processes, groundbreaking regeneration becomes not just possible but inevitable.’
GAIA ERO
Floral designer, Enmeshed
The ‘living skin’ of the sculpture is made from hessian and hemp fibres treated with lime — a material Dimi chose as much for its environmental credentials as its appearance.
‘The lime in the sculpture breathes in carbon while it is setting. Similar to a tree, it pulls carbon dioxide out of the air in order to turn itself back into limestone. It filters urban pollution too — lime is ‘sacrificial,’ meaning it neutralises harmful acids such as sulphur and nitrogen from car exhaust. And because it is highly alkaline, this sculpture acts as a natural disinfectant, resisting mould and microbial growth. In addition, while modern cement is fired at extreme heat, the lime I’m using is produced at much lower temperatures, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The metal in the sculpture can also be reused or recycled.’
DIMITRIS ‘DIMI’ KOUTROUMPAS
Artist, Enmeshed
The collaboration began at the 2025 Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival, where Dimi exhibited his six-foot-tall Nature Spirits — figures made from repurposed shop mannequins reclothed in materials foraged from ancient Somerset sites — and where Gaia served as festival curator.
Recognising a shared philosophy, Dimi invited Gaia to collaborate on a Chelsea bid. Inspired by Sheldrake’s writing, Gaia proposed mycelium as the concept; Dimi designed and built the sculpture while Gaia steered the pair’s winning submission.
Dimi built Enmeshed in a barn in Pilton, Somerset. It will be completed on site in the Great Pavilion, alongside fellow SHHFF alumni Acacia Creative Studio and internationally celebrated designers Frida Kim & Wagner Kreusch.
Enmeshed will be on display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from 19-23 May 2026, London.
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