George designs Country Life stand at Chelsea Flower Show

George Saumarez Smith has been announced as the designer of Country Life’s garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 (19-23 May, Royal Hospital Chelsea).

The Garden Lover’s Library [stand number PW215] celebrates the heritage of Country Life magazine by bringing together gardening, architecture and literary culture in a room inspired by the traditional English country house. George had long thought he would like to be involved in some way with the Chelsea Flower Show, and when Country Life commissioned him to design their stand he “immediately thought it was something I would love to do, it presented itself as an amazing opportunity”.

An evocation of a classically inspired, richly layered domestic interior, the Garden Lover’s Library will feature a collection of over 300 gardening books sourced by George, who self-imposed a cut-off publication date of 1986 to preserve the vintage feel of the room. “Because they are more than 40 years old, they simply have a different feel.”

The collection of books covering subjects such as natural history and wildlife, as well as flowers and propagation, reflects the heritage of Country Life and its long association with architectural and garden writing. It also pays homage to George’s father, John Saumarez Smith, a renowned bookseller and editor of the book review pages of Country Life throughout the 1980s and 90s. George’s grandfather was the renowned classical architect, Raymond Erith. He says: “Architecture is in my blood, but so is a love of books.”

George is well known for being passionate about drawing and is a proponent and teacher of measured drawing, having been one of the last students to read the now-closed course at the University of Edinburgh. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the most arresting aspect of the room’s design are his hand drawn pencil elevations produced as a wallcovering on all three walls and designed to evoke the feeling of a panelled room hung with pictures against a soft blue-grey floral wallpaper reminiscent of a coffered ceiling design, and a window with a view out into a garden. The pictures include drawings of his favourite works by an eclectic mix of British artists. Running around the top of the three walls is a hand drawn inscription reading: a garden lover’s library at Chelsea Flower Show for Country Life by George Saumarez Smith of ADAM Architecture. The wallpaper is being printed by Watts 1874, producers of premium wallpapers since the 19th century.

The fireplace and flooring have been commissioned from English stone specialists Artorius Faber to George’s design. The hexagon pattern of the floor is repeated in the wall covering and a tented ceiling in blue and white striped fabric hangs above.

In recognition of this year’s themes at the Chelsea Flower Show of recyclability and sustainability, many of the objects and items of furniture within the room are from George’s own home, including a bookcase he designed some years ago. The provenance of the items also contributes to the sense of a comfortable and elegant domestic interior which has evolved over time. “By combining antiques with pieces from the 20th century, the 1960s and 1970s and more contemporary elements, the room is designed to show how Country Life represents both heritage and Englishness.”

Of particular interest is a historic writing desk, made for HMS Orion, a 74-gun third-rate ship that formed part of the main British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, which served under Captain Sir James Saumarez, a distant ancestor of the architect. The plants which will be in the library have been selected and potted up by Jane Kennerley, George’s fiancée, to be at their best during the show. “My aim is to evoke a moment in time through a combination of plants I remember from my childhood”, she says. There will be scented pelargoniums, succulents, ferns, a spider plant and an aspidistra, amongst the plants.

George says: “I have much enjoyed the creative process of working with Giles Kime of Country Life. To have fulfilled another long-held ambition of designing a wallpaper, which now looks likely to go into production, is more than I could have imagined.

“I hope that anyone who loves books and gardens will recognise this library as belonging to a true garden lover, not just a serious gardener. My reference point is really Jane, my fiancée, who understands the natural world in an extraordinary way. It is a tribute to her, and to my affection for the worn English country house look. It is also a homage to my father, who spent his life in books.”

Giles Kime, Country Life’s Executive and Interiors Editor, says: “George shares so many of Country Life’s passions, and he has drawn on his interests in architecture, drawing, gardens, interior design and books to create a space that offers a fascinating insight into the mind of one of the world’s leading classically inspired architects.”