London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Scaly stowaway: lizard makes an appearance at Chelsea flower show

Scaly stowaway: lizard makes an appearance at Chelsea flower show

Gardeners at the Yeo Valley Organic display were delighted to find the common brown lizard in pile of logs
Visitors to Chelsea flower show come from all over the country, and range from senior royals to interested gardeners looking for some new plants.

This year, however, there has been a rather special guest – a common brown lizard. Gardeners at the Yeo Valley Organic display were delighted to find him in a pile of logs.

In the past, Chelsea was known as a showcase of perfectly manicured lawns and prize-winning blooms in symmetrical flower beds. But there is now a clear trend towards nature-friendly gardening. This has been somewhat controversial, with veteran gardeners including the Royal Horticultural Society rose expert Charles Quest-Ritson arguing that people do not attend flower shows to see piles of logs and patches of nettles. He believes prizes should not be given for “weeds”.

But Quest-Ritson is in the minority, and this year’s show features multitudes of nature and eco-friendly gardens including a Cop26 garden and a woodland planting supported by Prince Charles, which urges visitors to “plant a tree for the Queen”.

Yeo Valley Organic’s garden is built to attract amphibians and reptiles, as well as pollinators and insects. It seems to have achieved that aim, with the lizard making himself at home in the log pile.

Sarah Mead, who created the Yeo Valley Organic garden, which is a permanent fixture at the company’s farm in Somerset, said there had been a discussion about whether the lizard had hitchhiked from the farm, where materials from the original garden were transported for the mini Chelsea version, or whether had it crawled in as a rare example of a London lizard.

She said: “It’s definitely a common brown lizard – there are lots of them in the West Country so we are sure it came down from Yeo Valley in Somerset among the stone that was transported from the farm, but it’s made itself quite at home here.

“As lizards are cold-blooded, they like the cool stone – it’s Mendip stone they’ve brought up from the dry stone walls on the farm, so a perfect environment for lizards, cool with lots of nooks and crannies. Lizards are just one example of the rich biodiversity at Yeo Valley, where they do everything to encourage wildlife.”

Common lizards are found across the country, but their numbers are declining because of habitat loss. They thrive in grassland and moorland, as well as the edges of woodlands.

The gardeners have enlisted experts from the Wildlife Trusts to help them keep the lizard comfortable at the busy show and teach them more about it.

Features of the Somerset garden recreated at Chelsea include an open perennial meadow with flowering plants and a glade of silver birch. The design also features charred logs used as garden markers and rammed earth walls as boundaries, both highlighting the importance of soil health. The garden is designed to show how to create a beautiful and peaceful space that encourages nature and has soil health in mind.

Tom Massey, who with the help of Mead designed the show garden, said: “The soil plays a pivotal role in our fight to reverse climate change but the world of microscopic activity under our feet is often overlooked. Carbon is the building block of all life and as gardeners we need to be reminded of the role we play in locking carbon into the soil, where it can help sustain life for generations to come. We want to create a beautiful garden that inspires visitors to think about using more sustainable gardening practices.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×