Green thumbs visiting London this May should be sure to check out the Chelsea Flower Show, where Prince Harry has chosen designer Jinny Blom to craft a plot that will shine a spotlight on the African kingdom of Lesotho. The tiny, rugged country is landlocked by South Africa in the Drakensberg Mountain range and has been ravaged by the AIDS epidemic, inspiring Prince Harry to found Sentebale, a charity to help orphans and needy children that the disease has left behind.
Blom's design takes into account Lesotho's unique geography-its lowest point is 4,500 feet in elevation and its cool, damp climate actually resembles that of Wales-and uses some of the country's native plants, like Nimesia and Silene fimbriata, in her scheme. She also incorporates circular motifs in the composition of flowerbeds, echoing patterns in tribal Sotho blankets and hats, and includes a traditional thatch-roofed hut. Chelsea Garden Show, May 21-25; rhs.org.uk.
