Chelsea Flower Show’s “apocalyptic" climate change boutique

Not to brag, but I've been to the year 2099 - in West London

Last week I visited the year 2099.

Or rather, the exhibition ‘Hope After Humanity’, “a powerful houseplant studio display that emphasises the damage done by rising temperatures”, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The press release explains:

“It’s 2099 and the world as we know it is over. Climate change has devastated our world, humanity has gone, and plants rule the planet.

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“‘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.”

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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.

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“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.”

The installation was created by The Plant Parlour (Gemma Haigh) and GrowTropicals. More info here.

Here’s some footage I got stepping into the year 2099, with the artist’s boyfriend kindly giving me a tour.

And some photographs:

So what do you think… Is this what the year 2099 looks like?