GardensDB - Gardens - Understoreys

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 Understoreys

 ![Understoreys](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/gardens/understoreys/primary_image.webp?v=3db19ee8-b57d-41ec-b1d9-fe82c2bf801b) Photo Credit: Royal Horticultural Society

 [RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026](https://gardensdb.com/shows/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-2026) - Showground Installation

Understoreys
============

Drawing on the Greek myth of Persephone - the queen of the underworld and the goddess of spring - Understoreys unfolds around the All About Plants gardens, threading between them and intensifying the experience of each. A savannah-like structure of small trees, low shrubs and geophytes, set on subtle earth mounds, bridges the gardens and carries visitors through this triangular space.

Dark burgundy and purple tones, with occasional flashes of red, are set against pale flowering and silvery foliage. The spined stems of *Zanthoxylum piperitum* and the leathery leaves of *Cistus* contrast with the softness of *Artemisia arborescens* and *Davidia*, creating a measured tension. Geophytes placed along the paths draw visitors downward - visually, spatially and through scent - slowing movement and structuring rhythm.

A connective tissue between the underworld and the surface, bulbs, tubers and geophytes embody Persephone in nature, helping us harness the power of their cyclical lives in our gardens.

Displayed At

 ![](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/shows/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-2026/logo.webp)

 [RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026](https://gardensdb.com/shows/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-2026)

Gallery

 [ ![A72CCFAE-78E6-4522-B9C3-A881E405FFFF_1_102_o](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/f943e9c9-174e-4ad7-b9ec-a34e1aa7bc9d/conversions/A72CCFAE-78E6-4522-B9C3-A881E405FFFF_1_102_o-gallery.webp)

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 ](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/3c063650-8181-4dc1-9f7e-9f38a196e089/conversions/C0ACF421-7DE4-4702-AF8E-131C775B6730_1_102_o-gallery.webp) [ ![E6FF6580-9992-482D-8324-9DC73CAA00EE](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/3e0d0c99-7d5b-4eeb-aafc-c5325737ed43/conversions/E6FF6580-9992-482D-8324-9DC73CAA00EE-gallery.webp)

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 ](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/5ff78f48-df26-4bdd-8bdd-a9d0a48772fe/conversions/5E40BB8A-6DE8-45C5-ABA6-B75EAAC8936A-gallery.webp) [ ![1AD5A3AF-41E8-46C2-B401-1ABF3D3DFBAF](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/ae86e836-f827-4195-83ee-c1e49db449cf/conversions/1AD5A3AF-41E8-46C2-B401-1ABF3D3DFBAF-gallery.webp)

 ](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/ae86e836-f827-4195-83ee-c1e49db449cf/conversions/1AD5A3AF-41E8-46C2-B401-1ABF3D3DFBAF-gallery.webp) [ ![E8565284-2892-4E47-8A88-9052E9A178EE](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/media/55a8659e-72cc-481d-b7a9-2c0a4b032633/conversions/E8565284-2892-4E47-8A88-9052E9A178EE-gallery.webp)

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Designers

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Jacopo Ducato Ruggeri

Designer

 ](https://gardensdb.com/people/jacopo-ducato-ruggeri)

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