A garden designer is raising awareness of the crisis facing British songbirds.
Rutland-based garden designer Nicola Oakey will highlight the work of UK charity SongBird Survival with her display at RHS Chelsea Garden Show in May.
Designed with children in mind, the garden includes bird-friendly planting, a bird bathing pool and central ‘birdhouse’ den made from repurposed materials.
Nicola Oakey
Nicola, who in 2018 was a finalist in the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, said: “It has been a long-held dream to go to Chelsea.
“Partnering with a cause I feel passionate about was important to me, so it’s great to work with SongBird Survival and share our love of songbirds
“The decline in songbird numbers is staggering, we simply cannot allow gardens to fall silent. I’ve always appreciated the natural world, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I became more curious about birds in my garden.
The SongBird Survival Garden designed by Nicola Oakey
“As I learned more, I realised there are epic stories of birth, death and survival right on our back doorsteps.”
The garden will feature in the All About Plants category and is sponsored by Project Giving Back.
It will be an immersive space, designed from the perspective of a bird foraging for food and water while moving between points of safety.