Ashwood at Chelsea - Millboard Partners with BALI for The Hive 2026

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show needs little introduction. It is the most prestigious horticultural event in the world, and for the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), it is also one of the most powerful platforms to demonstrate what the UK landscape industry can achieve. This year, BALI returned to Chelsea with something genuinely special: The Hive.

Designed by Matt Evans of The Garden Room Studio; a Living and Landscape Design studio based in Poole and built by Alistair Bayford and the team at Frosts Landscapes, The Hive is a celebration of collaboration. It brings together the skills, materials, and expertise of BALI members and partners to create something greater than the sum of its parts. We are proud to be one of those partners, with our Shadow Line+ cladding in Ashwood featuring throughout the stand.

Inside the covered seating area, the warmth of the Morvelle pergola’s ochre ceiling complements the pale, freshly sawn tone of Millboard Shadow Line+ in Ashwood.

a garden built on collaboration

True to its name, The Hive is a collective endeavour. Spread across a compact 5m x 4m footprint, the garden demonstrates that great design is not about scale, it is about intention. Every element, from materials to planting, has been chosen with purpose: to show what is possible when skilled professionals work together towards a shared goal.

Alongside Millboard Shadow Line+ cladding, the stand brings together an impressive roster of contributors: Morvelle (pergola structure), Ca’ Pietra (paving), Sky Garden (vertical planting), Hillier Trees (trees and structural planting), Furnitubes (seating), and Landscapeplus (low-voltage lighting). Each brings something distinct; together they form a space that is cohesive, considered, and genuinely inspiring.

Inside the covered seating area, the warmth of the Morvelle pergola’s ochre ceiling complements the pale, freshly sawn tone of Millboard Shadow Line+ in Ashwood.

Why matt chose ashwood

Ashwood is a new Millboard Envello cladding colour for 2026, available across our Shadow Line+ and Board & Batten+ profiles. For Matt Evans, the choice was not made lightly.

After reviewing a shortlist of Millboard colour samples including Golden Oak and Limed Oak, he was drawn to Ashwood for its freshly sawn appearance: pale, clean, and full of natural character without feeling too raw or unfinished. Crucially, it worked well with the other tones and textures across the scheme. The warm ochre of the Morvelle pergola structure, the blush-pink and terracotta of the Ca’ Pietra paving, the deep forest green of the planters, Ashwood sits alongside all of it without competing for attention.

The result is a backdrop that feels architectural but not cold; natural but not rustic. It is the kind of material choice that only becomes apparent when you remove it from your mind’s eye and imagine how different the space would feel with something else.

The grain and knot detail of Millboard Shadow Line+ in Ashwood. The freshly sawn wood look convinced Matt Evans after reviewing several colour options.

the details that make the difference

Step into The Hive and the quality of the detailing is immediately apparent. The Ca’ Pietra paving subtly echoes the hexagonal geometry of the BALI branding and stand name, creating a visual rhythm that ties the space together from the ground up. A large-format crittall-style mirror set into the Millboard cladding draws the eye and gives the space a sense of depth and openness that belies its compact dimensions.

The Morvelle pergola frames the covered seating area with architectural confidence, engineered for year-round use while remaining light and elegant in proportion. Beneath it, Furnitubes seating provides a practical, comfortable space for industry colleagues to pause, meet, and talk, exactly what a BALI stand at Chelsea should offer.

Looking through the covered seating area to the Millboard-clad rear wall and the naturalistic planting beyond.

a planting palette worth taking note of

The planting is one of the standout elements of The Hive, and it has drawn considerable attention, not least from the bees.

The planting palette was selected specifically to attract pollinators. The bees at Chelsea have been enthusiastic visitors.

Matt and his team at The Garden Room Studio selected a naturalistic, drought-tolerant palette designed to support pollinators throughout the growing season. The peach-toned spires of Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Peach’ draw the eye upwards, while the delicate white daisies of Erigeron karvinskianus tumble informally around the base of the Millboard panels. Astrantia ‘Roma’ brings fine structure and soft colour; grasses including Sesleria heufleriana and Poa labillardierei add movement and texture.

It is a palette that feels meadow-like and unforced, genuinely beautiful rather than composed for effect. And if you are looking for inspiration for your own garden or project, it translates well to a domestic scale. The full planting palette for the Hive X BALI at RHS Chelsea 2026 can be found here.

Erigeron karvinskianus and meadow grasses against the Ashwood cladding. The pale tone of the boards provides a calm backdrop to the naturalistic planting.

A longstanding relationship

This is not the first time Millboard and Matt Evans have worked together. Matt has specified Millboard products on previous high-profile projects, including within the award winning Beacon Garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Live Spring Fayre. His familiarity with our range, and his confidence in specifying Millboard products for a stand as prominent as Chelsea, means a great deal to us.

It also reflects something we genuinely believe: that the best material specifications come from designers who know a product well, who have seen it perform over time, and who trust it enough to put it in front of the most discerning audiences in their industry.

Proud to support BALI and the wider industry

Being part of The Hive is about more than product exposure. BALI plays a vital role in setting and maintaining standards across the UK landscape industry, from training and accreditation to advocacy and professional development. Supporting their flagship Chelsea exhibit is a way of putting our weight behind that work.

As Amy Cobbett, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at BALI, has described the garden: it is a direct expression of what BALI membership stands for – a unified industry delivering outstanding environments for people, communities, and nature. We are glad to be part of it.

Visit The Hive at Chelsea

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 19–23 May 2026. The Hive is located just off Main Avenue if you are attending, it is well worth a visit. See the Ashwood cladding in context, take in the planting, and speak to the team about what went into creating the stand.

Matt Evans will be working from the stand on Press Day (Monday 18 May), Tuesday 19 May, and Thursday 21 May, if you would like to speak with the designer directly.

If The Hive has inspired you, whether for a garden project, an outdoor living space, or a commercial landscape scheme, you can explore our full range of Shadow Line+ cladding on the Millboard website or order a free sample to see Ashwood for yourself.