'An Ode to Endurance' - Chelsea Flower Show 2026
From harsh arid landscapes to the discomfort of our front rooms. Inspired by the idiosyncratic structures and silhouettes of succulents, 'An Ode To Endurance' serves as an ode to these otherworldly stalwarts. As we dissect their distinct appearances, formed as a response to endure their harsh natural habitats, we consider how their origins inform the care regimen needed to help our plants thrive.
After a rigorous process, from conceptualising and planning, to getting our large specimens on site and adding final interior details, our Chelsea Flower Show 2026 exhibit was awarded a gold medal and 'Best Houseplant Studio'. All of the species featured within our display can be found on our website here.
Image 01-02. The completed 'An Ode to Endurance' exhibit.
BEHIND THE DESIGN
Image 03. The final design.
Motivated by our admiration and fascination of plants with arid and semi-arid origins, that appear almost extraterrestrial and often bear markings on their surfaces which reveal their maturity and history, we wanted to inspire visitors to consider cacti and succulents for their houseplant collections.
Image 04. Looking into the corner of the building.
The light and airy space, which mixed rustic and modern details, used muted tones, natural finishes, antique furniture, second hand planters, and rough textures, worked together to showcase the spectacular shapes and silhouettes of cacti and succulents. Pre-loved, aged furniture and planters mirrored the signs of aging on the mature specimen plants around our display.
Image 05. A blank canvas. The Studio Pavilion during our final site visit before the build.
A soft terracotta pink colour for the building exterior intended to compliment the muted shades of succulents, paired with the subdued grey of the metal roof alongside the rough cut timber surfaces of the interior walls and floor, worked in perfect harmony with the flood of green hues in the background of our exhibit.
Image 06. The veranda and decking covered in Aeoniums, Aloes, and Brachychiton.
The building itself, kindly provided by Malvern Garden Buildings who sponsor the Houseplant Studios, was designed to feel as open as possible. An all glass front was chosen for optimal access to natural light for our succulent-centric display, with two double doors to allow a seamless walk-through for visitors from the welcoming front and through to the veranda. The distinction of an interior and exterior space was crucial to showcase the placement of succulents in different settings.
Image 07. Warm tones and aged surfaces welcoming visitors into the building.
Life As A Collector
The interior was centred around a living room design part of a plant collector’s home, for an airy and bright south facing space. Consisting of a mix of neatly presented rare plants lining shelves and carefully placed in clusters around the room, with access to an adjacent outdoor space which too was filled with sun-loving specimens. Whether a spacious house with multiple floors, or a small flat in a busy city with access to a small balcony, cacti and succulents can easily fit into many different spaces.
Image 08. Looking in from the veranda, light was flooding in throughout the day.
Visitors were taken through the cosy interior filled with rare specimens, the likes of Myrtillocactus geometrizans ‘Stacker’, Euphorbia sipolisii f. crestata, and Ceraria namaquensis, through to the veranda outdoors filled with species that enjoy being placed outside for the summer, notably Brachychiton rupestris and an assortment of Aeoniums.
Image 09. A succulent showcase.
Image 10. Echinocactus grusonii nestled in amongst sand, gravel, stone, and old bricks.
The Arid-scape
The exterior featured an assortment of statement specimens potted within mounds of substrates, referencing their arid natural habitats. From towering and rotund specimens to small unassuming plants, which most enjoy being placed outdoors for the warmer months where they can truly thrive. Species like Trichocereus pasacana, Echinocactus grusonii, Euphorbia ingens, and Agave geminiflora to name a few.
Image 11. Some of our largest specimens; Euphorbia ingens variegata, Trichocereus pasacana, Euphorbia ingens, Senecio vitalis, and Agave attenuata.
As you move from the outer edges of the exhibit inwards to the homely building, rugged specimens emerging from sand and gravel slowly transform into a familiar domestic appearance of potted plants. Clusters of small and large succulent specimens in naturally toned and aged terracotta pots crowded around the entrance to the building, guiding visitors into the path. The visual transition, aided by old bricks added roughly throughout for structure, invokes a sense of bringing the outdoors in, bridging a gap between the unfamiliarity of the origins of our houseplants to our homes.
Image 12. The other side of the building, the mound consisted of our largest Brachychiton rupestris specimen to date.
KEY PLANTS
The key species within our design offered a range of succulent forms, from hairy and spiky cacti, slender deciduous trees, to the common dense rosettes of plump leaves. All chosen to showcase the variety of growth habits, and provide something of interest for everyone walking past.
Brachychiton rupestris
The look of the unique trunk of this species, paired with the delicate sparse foliage is captivating, and over the years has become a favourite of ours. While other species of plants usually arrive with relative uniformity, Brachychiton rupestris, with their irregular trunks and idiosyncratic branches, each have a completely unique shape which cannot be replicated even if grown in the same conditions.
Image 13. Brachychiton rupestris.
Image 14. Kalanchoe beharensis specimen.
Kalanchoe beharensis
Soft textured, with sharp edges, this species is a statement piece in all shapes and sizes. Native to southwestern Madagascar, it is a large branching succulent shrub, with a meandering growth habit forming unique shapes. Its distinct fuzzy felt-like triangular leaves are large, concave and greyish, emerging at branch tips. Older leaves die back as the plant matures, leaving behind deep scars to form a sharp rugged trunk
Euphorbia ingens
Native to South Africa, Euphorbia ingens is commonly known as the candelabra tree due to its distinct branching. This large tree-like succulent can grow up to 10 metres tall in the wild. From a stocky main stem emerges a crown of dark green branches, which with age develops a rough brown grey bark that becomes fissured. Large specimens of this species often indicate periods of growth with wavy margins along their spiny ridges. 
Image 15. Euphorbia ingens.
Cleistocactus colademononis
The ‘monkey tail’ cactus is a fast growing lithophyte with curling tail-like stems which are white gingery and really are as soft as they look. Often compared to tarantulas, or even an octopus, thanks to the long hairy stems, this species has been a consistent point of intrigue within our stores. If that wasn’t enough it also has a flourish of pink flowers in early summer.
Image 16. Cleistocactus colademononis.
Aeonium
With dense rosettes of fleshy leaves, atop slender woody stems, members of the Aeonium genus have a distinct appearance. The genus is small, with around 35 different succulent species, but cultivars and varieties exist in great numbers. Most are native and endemic to the Canary Islands, and they make for great low maintenance additions to any houseplant collection. They also enjoy a period of sunbathing outdoors during the summer months.
Image 17. Mix of Aeoniums.
Image 18. 'An Ode To Endurance'.
THE SET UP
Image 19. Unloading our cactus and succulent delivery.
In the months leading up the Chelsea Flower Show we were deep into planning and prepping. First, working with Malvern Garden Buildings to choose our building finishes and colours, before finalising our layout, and finally the most exciting arrival of our specimen plants. 
Image 20-21. Storing plants and props in the glasshouse.
During the weeks prior to the build, plants and props were stored in our glasshouse at Middleton Mews, while our large specimen plants were laid out wherever we could fit them (which you may have seen if you visited us!). Everything was carefully packed, wrapped, and loaded into our vans for a precarious journey to Chelsea.
Image 22. Getting the specimen plants wrapped up and ready for the van journey.
Once on site, our main focus was getting all of our extremely large specimens into place. The sheer weight of each plant required more than four people to move them, and once in situ they needed to be weighed down. Due to the weight of the plants, pots, and substrates it took us the better part of the week, and multiple vans daily, to get everything on site for installation. 
Image 23-24. Unloading specimen plants and props on site.
Image 25. Finalising placement of large plants and pots.
The torrential rain throughout the week had put a slight dampener on our exterior installation plans, but luckily there were plenty of interior details that also needed our attention. To make the building appear more aged the pale interior walls were dry brushed with thin strokes of brown, green, and beige paint. Fragile rare plants for the living room set up required cautious potting into antique planters.
Image 26. Potting station for smaller plants for the interior display.
Image 27. Building of the arid display.
We found moments in between the downpours to build up the arid display. Building our conceptual arid-scape surrounding the building required a lot of substrates (and a lot of weight!), while we also used bricks to create short walls for structure. These particular bricks were left at our Middleton Mews store by previous occupiers, likely from knocking down walls of our building, and we have since reused them for many projects.
Image 28. Protecting part of the finished arid display from the heavy rain.
Image 29. The final day of the build. The team were busy making sure each plant and corners of the display looked perfect.
The anticipation of the final day before the judging involved a rush of finishing touches. Pruning all of our plants to perfection, brushing our spiky cacti, sweeping the floors which just a day earlier were drenched from the rain, and getting masses of our plant labels out. While our larger specimen plants had hand-written aged steel signs, our smaller rare plants were presented with hand-stamped copper signs aged with a solution.
Image 30-31. The details. Aged plant labels and carved slate signs amongst the display.
Image 32. Small mounds of substrates spread from the decking and into the building, bridging the gap between the two areas of the exhibit.
Image 33. Our 'Best Houseplant Studio' award.