Chelsea Flower Show bans fake grass in first time in over a decade

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Chelsea Flower Show has banned the use of artificial grass from this year’s show because it goes against its stance against plastic. It comes after the Royal Horticultural Society said it would ban fake grass from the shows from 2022, following a row last year with John Lewis and artificial lawn firm Easigrass. “We recommend using real grass because of its environmental benefits, which include supporting wildlife, mitigating flooding and cooling the environment.” Sales of artificial grass soared in 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown, with Google showing a 185 per cent jump in searches in May 2020 compared to the same month the year before. However, in response to a similar petition last year that gathered 32,731 sigantures, the government said it has “no plans to ban the use of artificial grass”.