Behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show – The LG Eco City Garden

The Chelsea Flower Show showcases the most cutting-edge outdoor projects in the UK. We were last here in 2016, when our LG Smart Garden - again designed by Hay- won the Silver Gilt Medal.

We're hoping Eco-City can go one better this time around. The garden will reimagine urban living while improving air quality and wellbeing - linking strongly with our commitment to 'Innovation for a Better Life'.

In the UK, around 50,000 people die every year as a result of poor air quality. This is likely to rise as the world becomes more urbanised - it's estimated that 60% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2030. The world needs a solution - and Eco-City aims to provide one with an environmentally-minded blueprint for inner-city high-rises. 

The garden will contain around 2,000 plants

Before we delve into the new LG smart garden, lets first quickly recap what a smart garden is. Inspired by the concept of intelligent homes, a smart garden aims to incorporate technology harmoniously with nature, providing additional functionality and convenience. A smart garden may therefore be enhanced with computers and electronic devices to stimulate the wildlife and growing nature.

Eco-City will offer a vision of how existing technologies, such as solar panels, can help supply clean energy, water and food. It will demonstrate how we can make a positive impact on our daily lives by naturally integrating building architecture into an outdoor space. By encouraging the concept of shared local eco-systems, the garden also aims to inspire community cohesion and boost personal wellbeing.

The LG Eco-City Garden will be entirely self-sufficient. In the indoor kitchen area will sit an organic vegetable farm that will thrive on nutrients from fish waste and light generated by solar power. There'll be over 70 species of plants in the garden- 2,000 plants in total- including trolllius, tulips and lupines. Thyme, basil and rocket plants will make up a bed of herbs designed to attract wildlife habitats. The garden will also feature a 25m2 sedum roof that will blossom into colour during the summer.

Landscape architect Hay Joung Hwang said: “As the populations of our cities increase, and more and more high-rises are built, air and noise pollution also worsens.
"My design provides a vision for sustainable, eco-city living, providing green space that can be replicated vertically in these high rises. It provides a living environment that increases people's well-being, as well as directly addressing the issues of air pollution.
"LG truly believes that innovation can have a positive impact on our lives, so it's a pleasure to be working with them again this year."