The Chelsea Flower Show, known for its genteel atmosphere and champagne-sipping among peonies, is facing a clash this year over the use of artificial intelligence in garden design. Award-winning designer Matt Keightley, who has created gardens for Prince Harry, is launching an AI app called Spacelift that can automate garden designs, sparking alarm among horticulturalists.
AI in Garden Design
Keightley's new app reportedly replicates the work of garden designers, creating spaces from scratch. He stated, "We're used to using technology to design every part of our homes – except our gardens. Spacelift changes that. It gives people a starting point, a plan, and the confidence to actually create something – not just imagine it."
Horticulturalists Express Alarm
Andrew Duff, chair of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers, criticized the move, saying, "Successful garden design is an art form. It is rooted in creativity, collaboration, experience and human connection. While technology may offer useful tools, it cannot replicate the insight, empathy and personal engagement that comes from working with a skilled garden designer."
Yvonne Price, a garden designer who has exhibited at RHS Hampton Court, called the inclusion of AI gardens at Chelsea a "betrayal." Nadine Mansfield, an award-winning designer, sarcastically asked, "What time does the job centre open?"
Existing Use of AI in Gardening
Some gardens already use AI for tasks like watering schedules or mapping appropriate flower species as the climate changes. Tom Massey, a Chelsea gold medallist, has used AI to track data from sensors monitoring tree growth, soil conditions, and air quality, but not for design. He expressed concern about "robot designers," stating, "I don't think many people would like the idea of that. I am worried what it will do to the industry."
Spacelift's Response
Spacelift is exhibiting three full-sized gardens at Chelsea, designed entirely by the platform: a rural-inspired scheme using reclaimed materials, a compact urban balcony garden, and a woodland-themed wellbeing space with a sauna and cold shower. Alexandra Davison, head of PR and partnerships, argued that the app expands the market rather than competing with designers, saying, "Spacelift users who go on to invest in their gardens are better informed, arrive with clearer briefs and more realistic expectations."
Duff reiterated that his guild will campaign to highlight the value of human work in garden design, stating, "AI may become a useful tool for inspiration, but it cannot replace the human understanding, creativity, accountability and experience that sit at the heart of successful garden and landscape design."
