It's from the toilet': nothing goes to waste in Chelsea flower show's hunt for ideal garden

Frisbees, solar panels and a toilet are among the unusual stars of the Chelsea flower show as horticulturists try to show how gardens can be as practical as they are beautiful.

- Helena Horton

In its 112th year, the event usually tends toward showcasing peonies and roses over human waste.

But the Garden of the Future, designed by Matthew Butler and Josh Parker, features a lavatory that creates a biochar compost perfect for growing vegetables.

"It converts the solids into a biochar and then the liquids into a water that is safe to use on ornamental planting," Butler said.

Brandishing a small pot of the substance, he added: "That's from the toilet. So it's like a light friable soil. There's a little drawer next to the toilet, you pull it out, and the contents can be used on the garden to help improve crops."

His garden also features a ground-mounted solar panel, which powers an irrigation pump. This could be important in a year in which areas of the UK are in the early stages of drought.

In response to weather extremes brought on by climate breakdown, the garden features drought-friendly crops for home vegetable patches.