It's 2099 and the World is Ruled by Houseplants - Is there Any Hope After Humanity?

It’s 2099 and the world as we know it is over. Climate change has devastated the earth. Humanity has gone and plants rule the planet.

(PRESS RELEASE - May 14th 2024)

This year, The Plant Parlour and GrowTropicals are teaming up to deliver a powerful houseplant studio display that emphasises the damage done by rising temperatures. ‘Hope After Humanity’ will transport visitors to RHS Chelsea Flower Show to the year 2099, where they’ll experience an apocalyptic boutique that’s been overrun by houseplants.

How will the ‘Hope After Humanity’ Houseplant Studio challenge audiences?

Transported to the year 2099, visitors to RHS Chelsea will be faced with a stark realisation as they witness ‘Hope After Humanity’ for the first time. Standing before an abandoned high-end boutique, they’ll feel a sense of foreboding as a radio crackles and buzzes, failing to make a connection.

The Malvern Garden Buildings studio flat has been reclaimed by nature and is teeming with dark foliage. The plants that rule this world aren’t just the classic English plants you’d expect to see though - they are houseplants. With temperatures estimated to rise by more than 4 degrees centigrade by the end of the century, in ‘Hope After Humanity’, tropical plants grow unobstructed in their London home.

A Houseplant Studio like no other.

In ‘Hope After Humanity’, innovative thinking is guided by sustainability to showcase naturalistic planting and imaginative display. The design promotes sustainable living by incorporating salvaged marketplace furniture and recycled rubble from other Chelsea show gardens, in a bid to reduce landfill waste and reduce carbon footprint.

Transformed into a new world, The Plant Parlour x GrowTropicals houseplant studio uses deep colours and soft textures to achieve a uniquely immersive display. Understory plants emerge from the shadows, vining plants grow unchecked, and a broken pipe provides water to a living wall of plants. At the centre, a lone mannequin stands tall, wearing nothing but foliage. Is she Mother Nature or the ghost of humanity?

Something to be experienced and not just viewed, ‘Hope After Humanity’ is like nothing RHS Chelsea Flower Show has seen before. In a bid to curb the curve of climate change, The Plant Parlour and GrowTropicals hope to encourage houseplant collectors to make conscious choices about the environment, to ensure a cooler planet in 2099.

About the Team

Gemma Haigh, known on social media as The Plant Parlour, is a former curator turned tropical rare plant collector. With interests in art, storytelling, and critical thinking, Gemma seeks to make people question the world they live in and make plants accessible to everyone. Following in the footsteps of a family of gardeners, she specialises in growing anthuriums and championing sustainability in her plant care practices. As a houseplant designer, Gemma aims to imaginatively integrate plants into indoor living spaces and promote low-maintenance plant care regimes.

Renowned for their gold-medal-winning display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2023, GrowTropicals stands out for their commitment to sustainable practices and access to the finest global tropical plant suppliers. With an expert team, GrowTropicals specialises in crafting magnificent terrarium installations. At their Leeds headquarters, GrowTropicals house an unparalleled collection of over 10,000 aroids and tropicals. Known in the houseplant community for their enormous range of rare plants, GrowTropicals are one of few UK companies committed to growing plants in their nursery.

Visit The Plant Parlour x GrowTropicals houseplant studio at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024

Don’t miss your opportunity to see the houseplant studio of the year. Book your tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show 2024 and visit the The Plant Parlour x GrowTropicals display to challenge how we perceive our houseplants.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 is running from Tuesday 21st May – Saturday 25th May.

To keep up to date with the project’s progress, make sure you follow @growtropicals and @theplantparlourgram on Instagram.