The Finnish Soul Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020 - the most prestigious show in the world

The Finnish Soul Garden, by way of displaying a variety of indigenous plants in their natural seaside habitat, celebrates the International Year of Plant Health 2020 and the 40th anniversary of coming into force of the first Convention of The Protection of the Baltic Sea Area, the Helsinki Convention.

The Garden
The setting is comprised of a sauna with a cool-off area and a seaside garden as a recreational facility for the inhabitants of the city, provided by the City of Helsinki Culture and Leisure Division. The garden is situated in the proximity of the city’s main public beach on a secluded peninsula.

The key features are a modern version of a traditional Finnish sauna with a green roof and a water feature, which depicts the open sea in front of the sauna and the garden. There is a wooden wall behind the garden to give shelter and intimacy. The area is surrounded by natural vegetation. There will also be large rocks which can be found in most coastal areas of the Baltic Sea on the Northern shores of the Gulf of Finland. 

The garden will reflect traditional seaside life and communality in harmony with the surrounding nature. The Nordic tradition of seaside life has continued virtually unchanged for centuries. It is still alive and well and enjoyed in Finland - even in the urban setting of the capital city on the unique brackish inland sea, the Baltic Sea.

The Finnish Soul Garden Team
The main sponsor of the garden, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland is delighted that for the second consecutive year a garden will be designed by the renowned Finnish landscape designer Taina Suonio at the Chelsea Flower Show 2020. Other partners are e.g. The Embassy of Finland, London, The Finnish-British Chamber of Commerce and City of Vantaa

The designer
Taina Suonio is a horticulturist, environmental biologist, landscape designer and researcher in the Fifth Dimension - Green Roofs in Urban Areas research group at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her research concentrates particularly on the environmental change and policy with regard to green roofs in urban areas. She is currently working on the Green Roof Strategy for the 4th largest city in Finland, Vantaa. She also lectures at various educational institutions on green roofs, gardening and design, and writes articles in gardening magazines on matters relating to horticulture, gardening, landscaping and the environment.

Read more about the garden, The Finnish Soul Garden Team and Taina Suonio here

Contact details
Taina Suonio,
Roslings Manor Gardens
+358 (0)50 443 5789
taina.suonio ( a ) rmgardens.fi
www.rmgardens.fi