Is there a perfect formula for a hard-wearing flower lawn that is good for pollinators, dogs and people?

The immaculately mowed green has fallen out of favour in recent years owing to its lack of support for biodiversity. But there have also been complaints about the tall wildflower meadows that grow during “no mow May” and are less usable for humans and pets.

Now celebrity gardener Monty Don has gone into laboratory mode with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), designing a hardy lawn that can be occasionally mown and trampled by dogs for the Chelsea flower show, which will take place from 20-24 May.

The “robust lawn” is full of daisies, clovers, dandelions, and a hard-wearing rye grass variety that is usually found in public open space. It will be dog-friendly in honour of his beloved pets. Don used to have a pair of golden retrievers, Nigel and Nell, who died in recent years. He now has a yorkshire terrier, Patti, and recently adopted a golden retriever puppy called Ned.

Guy Barter, the chief horticulturist at the RHS, said: “Our ultimate dog lawn is pretty humble, combining only a hard-wearing grass seed and the stalwarts of the garden – daisies, dandelions and clover. It’s a reminder that lawns don’t have to look perfect to be perfect for our pets, everyday use and the wider environment.”

The garden designer Jamie Butterworth, who is working with Monty Don to create his Chelsea garden, said of the lawn: “Despite this being the greatest flower show on earth, we don’t want this to be a manicured lawn, we want this to be a lawn that’s a little rough around the edges, that has dandelions and daisies growing freely, the ultimate hard-wearing lawn. The shaggy model of a lawn is back.”

The RHS has blamed the Labour government for its decision to slow down its phase out of peat compost at the shows, which has been delayed from next year until 2028. In 2026, an estimated 40% of nurseries exhibiting in the floral marquee at the shows will be allowed to sell peat starter plants, which started life grown in a small plug containing peat and were then grown on peat-free.

They say the decision is the consequence of a complex horticultural supply chain where 60% of young plants, many grown in peat, are sourced from abroad, and to help safeguard nurseries which are vital to maintaining Britain’s plant diversity.

The previous government committed to banning horticultural peat, which the RHS said would lead to more demand for, and therefore supply of, peat-free plants. However, the current government has not yet brought forward legislation or a timeline for a ban on peat in horticultural plants. Peat compost is bad for the environment as it is sourced from peat bogs that are important carbon sinks.

Meanwhile the RHS’s chief entomologist is hoping that 2025 will be a bumper year for pollinators. Hayley Jones, who works at RHS Garden Wisley, said: “Because it’s been a warm sunny spring, it’s ideal for pollinators to get out and about and gather nectar and pollen from early flowering plants which will be around for longer because of good weather – prunus being a great example of this. Good weather will maintain their blooms and it not being too dry, their nectar won’t dry out.

“This is especially important following a bad year last year owing to long-term decline and weather conditions, so pollinators have more opportunity to bounce back.”