At the Chelsea Flower Show 2025, visitors will have a unique opportunity to interact with the first-ever AI-powered garden, thanks to a collaboration between renowned garden designer Tom Massey and Microsoft. This innovative project, aptly named the Avanade “intelligent” garden, aims to change the way we think about gardening.

Massey, known for his creative approach to landscape design, has integrated advanced sensors into the soil that are connected to AI trained on extensive Royal Horticultural Society plant data and gardening advice. This setup allows guests to engage with the garden by asking, “How are you?” to which the AI might respond, “I need a bit more water, I could use a haircut, maybe.”

In an interview, Massey explained the broader implications of this technology. “The garden is designed to be interactive and is intended to showcase emerging technologies while also promoting resource conservation,” he stated. The wireless sensors monitor various factors such as moisture, nutrient levels, and pH balance. Visitors can consult a computer set up in a nearby pavilion to check on the garden’s health.

Massey emphasized the potential for this sensor technology to be implemented in larger estates, suggesting that instead of relying on automatic watering systems based on a set schedule, irrigation could be optimized to water plants only when necessary. “We are wasting so much water, and London faces the threat of water shortages in the future,” he noted. “Just imagine the water savings in a large development if we only irrigated when absolutely needed, rather than on a timed schedule.”

Surprisingly, the garden’s design will lean towards a more traditional look rather than a futuristic aesthetic. “We wanted it to feel green, organic, and earthy,” Massey said. The garden will include mushrooms and climate-resilient trees all monitored by the AI assistant, complemented by lush green plantings.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has also made strides to ensure the project is energy-efficient. Jon Simpson, the RHS director of IT, elaborated: “There are concerns about whether AI technology is energy-intensive due to its use of data centers. While it can indeed have a negative impact, the key lies in how we implement it. We are training traditional AI models with the RHS database using what we call a small language model, which is significantly more efficient and effective.”