A piece of horticultural history is set to take root in the North West as the Plant Heritage Missing Collector Garden finds its forever home at Chester Zoo.
Following its debut at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, the show garden will be painstakingly relocated to the zoo from late autumn.
This move offers a peaceful new green space for millions of visitors to enjoy while highlighting the critical link between plant and animal conservation.
The relocation is a natural expansion for Chester Zoo, which in August 2025 became the first zoo in the UK to be officially recognised as an internationally important botanic garden by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BCGI).
The zoo is already a vital stronghold for biodiversity, holding five Plant Heritage National Plant Collections, including tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes), rare cactus species (Copiapoa, Matucana, Turbinicarpus), and South American orchids (Pleurothallidinae).
A Garden ‘Made in Cheshire’ Returning to its Roots
While the garden will first find fame on the London stage, its heart belongs firmly to Cheshire.
The design is a true celebration of local craftsmanship, featuring sculptural stone for the pillars, representing stacked reference books, and museum-style drawers sourced from Blackham Reclamation in Tattenhall.
The pathways are crafted using English oak from Grosvenor TimberWorks, and the structural hedges that frame the garden are being sourced from The Big Hedge Co, based in Chester.
The local connection even extends to the design team from The Planting Design Collective.
Trio member Sally-Anne Rees grew up in the area, is proud to be from Bunbury, and cites The Dysart Arms as the location for many of their team meetings.
Handily for the designers, Sally-Anne’s Mum hosts them all when they need to stay in the area.
This deep-rooted link ensures the garden’s relocation is a true homecoming, supported by Cheshire-based National Plant Collection holders like Plantagogo.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Conservationists
The garden’s ultimate mission is to highlight the gaps in plant conservation, encouraging visitors to step into the role of the missing collector by caring for rare species.
Gwen Hines, CEO of Plant Heritage, emphasised the importance of this partnership:
“It’s such a natural fit that the Plant Heritage Missing Collector Garden should find a home at Chester Zoo.
“We’re thrilled that it will have a life beyond Chelsea and will help to educate and inspire the zoo’s millions of visitors about plant conservation and the amazing work being done by our volunteer National Plant Collection holders.”
For Chester Zoo, the addition of the garden reinforces the idea that plant and animal survival are inseparable.
Phil Esseen, Head of Plants at Chester Zoo, noted the shared vision behind the project:
“We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Plant Heritage and the five National Plant Collections we have (Nepenthes pitcher plants, rare cacti and orchids), so we believe Chester Zoo will be the perfect home for the Missing Collector Garden.
“For us, plant conservation and animal conservation go hand in hand. We are excited to share the Missing Collector Garden with all our visitors, who will get to enjoy this beautiful and peaceful green space.
“We hope they will also be inspired to step into the gap left by the missing collector and care for a National Plant Collection.”
By providing a permanent home for this award-winning design, the zoo continues to grow its reputation as a global leader in education and outreach, including 120,000 school children visiting each year as part of their International Conservation Academy.
