Peter Dowdall: I cringe when I see 'stay off the grass' signs

Gardens are sensory, which is why top designers use water, sound, texture and touch to give a sensory experience of total immersion

Subtle use of water in The Glasshouse Garden, designed by Jo Thompson at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Picture: Neil Hepworth/RHS

Gardens are not simply to be looked at; they are places to be in. Sure, its lovely to look at a nice picture of a garden but truly, a real garden is a multi-sensory experience, you want to see the beauty yes, but you also want to feel it, touch the plants, the breeze against your skin, hear the birds singing and the insects humming, you want to taste the air, smell the roses, perhaps dance in the rain or bathe in the sunshine, no Instagram image can do that for you.

At Chelsea Flower Show this year, one of the strongest themes was the idea of sensory gardens, spaces that are designed not just for the eye but for the ear, the hand and even the nose. These were gardens to be felt and experienced, to immerse yourself in, rather than to stand back from.