Decking at RHS Hampton Court in the Naked Garden
The Naked Garden Decking
In 2011, David Domoney and Anglian Home Improvements brought a show garden to RHS Hampton Court that refused to hide the mechanics of horticulture. Instead, The Naked Garden put plant roots on display, so visitors could see the full structure of each plant “in the nude”.
Karl Harrison, delivered the build. Moreover, the garden showcased bleached hardwood decking, alongside Karl’s water bubble wall feature and specialist acrylic elements.
The concept created instant impact. First, it felt bold. Second, it felt educational. Visitors could literally walk through a garden that treated roots as part of the design language, not something to conceal.
What the press said
Coverage focused on the garden’s “controversial” edge and its headline visuals. In particular, Anglian noted “plenty of media coverage”, and it highlighted the attention created when models posed alongside the planting.
As a result, the garden drew crowds who wanted to understand what they were seeing, not just photograph it.
What the people said
Commentary from show-goers consistently returned to one theme: curiosity. PlantAdvice described the garden as “quirky and interesting” and noted how it engaged visiting school children because they could actually see the roots.
Meanwhile, visitor photography also captured the same reaction—people leaned in, looked closer, and discussed the planting systems in front of them.
The result
The Naked Garden finished RHS Hampton Court with a Silver Award, which marked a strong outcome for a brave concept.
Karl left the show pleased and proud. However, the bigger win sat in the response: the garden made people stop, look, and talk about how gardens work.
At DeckingNetwork.com, we love that. Therefore, we will keep promoting builds that combine creativity with proper detailing—and we will keep flying the flag for the decking trade.
Like a scene from Space Oddyssey or even Aliens to be more precise, a naked garden indeed.
See through tanks with the naked plants for all to see. A naked deck stripped bare from all of its tannins, clear furniture and even some naked people.
RHS Silver
