The Redshift: an RHS show garden

“The Redshift” won a silver medal at the RHS Malvern show 2019.

Introduction
Further information
Information boards from the show
Partners, sponsors and suppliers
Plant list

Introduction

This garden celebrates how telescopes have helped us develop an understanding of our universe.

Early in the last century, astronomers decided to look at the movement of galaxies. If a galaxy is moving towards you, it appears more blue than it should. If a galaxy is moving away from you, it appears more red than it should.

Nearly all observed galaxies appeared more red – they were all moving away from us. Everything is moving away from everything else as the universe itself is expanding. This is called the Redshift and is proof of the Big Bang.

The design features a space to sit (representing ‘Earth’) with sculptures representing ground and space telescopes. Looking out into the garden from this position, the planting will move from yellows through orange towards reds, representing the Red Shift. This will be interspersed with swathes of dark plants to represent dark matter.