The Parsley Box Garden wins the People’s Choice Award
Gardens with late flowering plants, grasses and edibles vied for coveted RHS Chelsea Flower Show medals at its first September show. The show, sponsored by M&G, runs from September 21-26, and the starring roles include plants that wouldn’t normally be ready for the usual timing in May.
The biggest change is the celebration of fruit and vegetables. A new Italian-inspired feature, The Great Pavilion Piazza, showcases asters, dahlias, squashes and pumpkins at the Monument in the centre, created by Villaggio Verde.
Watch out for the harvest!
Other harvest highlights include Brighter Blooms, swapping Zantedeschia for salad crops. Pennard Plants display new tomatoes and other tender vegetables. The M&G Garden features the orange berries of Hippophae rhamnoides and rosehips.
Grasses replace the usual ferns and hostas. First-time exhibitors Ashcroft’s Perennials show a display of ornamental grasses in the Great Pavilion. The Guide Dogs’ 90th Anniversary Garden, The Yeo Valley Organic Garden and The Boodles Secret Garden are incorporating grasses into their gardens.
Naturalistic styles are being replaced by more formal, shaped plants. First-timers Agrumi Topiary Art has a range of topiary animals, along with Form Plants, making their debut with Torc Pots.
Seedheads come to the fore, too. The foxglove’s seedheads are used in the Florence Nightingale Garden, as it was her favourite plant, but blooming is over by September. Teasels and sanguisorbas appear in the Guide Dogs’ 90th Anniversary Garden.
Key foliage and flower trends
Coloured leaves and foliage add autumn and winter interest, seen in The BBC One Show and the RHS Garden of Hope, alongside warm-toned dahlias. Primrose Hall Peonies and The Botanic Nursery display peonies’ year-round foliage in gold and burgundy.
Asters and dahlias take the place of the usual lupins, irises and foxgloves. New growers include the International Camellia Society with autumn-flowering varieties. Parigo Alstroemeria brings back Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily). First-time exhibitors, GreenJJam show Penstemon, while Middleton Nurseries have a colourful collection of late-flowering Salvias.
Exotic plant specialists Plantbase return with tropical, jungle-style plants. Discover Vachellia karroo and its relationship with giraffes, a rare Ptilotus exaltatus and Adansonia madagascariensis. Tropical planting appears in The Calm of Bangkok and Trailfinders’ 50th Anniversary Garden with a selection of Hedychium, Cautleya and Brugmansia.
Bulb specialists Jacques Amand International display a vibrant collection of Nerine, Colchicum and Eucomis. With autumn planting time for next year, you can buy spring bulbs from exhibitors in the Great Pavilion. Visit W.S. Warmenhoven, Hoyland Plant Centre and Hare Spring Cottage Plants, among others.
Chelsea Flower Show medals – Show Gardens
Guangzhou China: Guangzhou Garden GOLD AND BEST SHOW GARDEN
Designed by Peter Chmiel with Chin-Jung Chen, built by The Outdoor Room, sponsored by the Guangzhou Government, China.
The garden highlights how planners must work in harmony with nature. Inspired by the holistic landscape stewardship programme of environmental planners in Guangzhou, China, the garden features a woodland dell for cleaner air, a pool of water and shelters for people to gather and homes for wildlife.
Trees and shrubs include dawn redwood, Scots pine, field maple and birch. Sedges, Euphorbia and ferns provide a carpet punctuated with Rodgersia and Angelica, which help to clean water and air. The effect is a graceful drifting wave of green foliage, dotted with perennials, in soft hues of white, blue and yellow.
The M&G Garden GOLD
Designed by Harris Bugg Studio, built by Crocus, sponsored by M&G
A shared green haven for people and wildlife in an urban environment, this garden was originally designed for the May 2020 show. Eighteen months on, the significance of urban green spaces is more powerful and meaningful than ever. Wherever possible, materials are reclaimed and reused, including a 100m high sculpture of repurposed metal pipes.
Trees have been chosen for their tolerance to urban climate extremes, including Nyssa sylvatica (black gum tree), Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) and Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive). The garden will be relocated to a permanent pocket-park home after the show.
The Trailfinders’ 50th Anniversary Garden GOLD AND BEST CONSTRUCTION AWARD (Show Garden)
Designed by Jonathan Snow, built by Stewart Landscape Construction, sponsored by Trailfinders
This garden celebrates the company’s origins, which sold its first overland trips to Kathmandu in 1970, and is inspired by the landscape, culture and plants of the Himalayan foothills.
Key features include a shelter similar to the architecture of the region, positioned at the fork of a stream, and paths crisscrossing the garden. The planting reflects the temperate zone of the Himalayas, including Pinus wallichiana, Dryopteris wallichiana, flowering thalictrums, persicarias, actaeas and hedychiums.
The Yeo Valley Organic Garden GOLD
Designed by Tom Massey, supported by Sarah Mead, built by Landscape Associates, sponsored by Yeo Valley Organic
This nature-filled garden includes habitats and plants found at Yeo Valley’s organic garden in Somerset. An open perennial meadow brims with flowering plants. Walls of carbon-rich biochar logs and rammed earth divide the site.
An egg-shaped, steam-bent oak hide, representing soil fertility and health, is suspended over the fast-flowing stream. The woodland is full of fruiting and flowering trees such as medlar, quince, silver birch, hazel and hawthorn. This area represents land that could be used for woodland grazing.
The Florence Nightingale Garden: A Celebration of Modern-Day Nursing SILVER
Designed by Robert Myers, built by Bowles & Wyer, sponsored by The Burdett Trust for Nursing.
An imagined courtyard garden for a new hospital, marking 200 years since Florence Nightingale’s birth. It shines a spotlight on the critical role nurses play in healthcare. The theme is ‘nurture through nature’, inspired by the idea that the shortest path to recovery leads through a garden.
This garden has a sculptural timber pergola on three sides, for viewing from inside the building, as well as for sitting in and strolling through. There are shaded places to sit amid naturalistic planting. Late-flowering perennials, grasses and bulbs create a calm, lush atmosphere. Texture and foliage are as important as colour and flowers.
60° East: A Garden Between Continents SILVER
Designed by Ekaterina Zasukhina with Carly Kershaw, built by Cube 1994 Ltd, sponsored by Bodmin Jail and Bodmin Jail Hotel.
Drawing upon eastern and western planting palettes, brought together in a naturalistic composition evocative of the Ural Mountains. Inspired by a garden in the heart of Yekaterinburg, 60° East is a green jewel amid towering architecture.
The garden reveals what can be grown in a climate that sees lows of -20°C. Filled with colour, this space invigorates the soul and calms the mind. Experience tumbling cascades and a pool, overshadowed by willow, rock and pine.
Chelsea Flower Show medals – Artisan Gardens
The Blue Diamond Forge Garden SILVER and BEST ARTISAN GARDEN
Designed by The Blue Diamond Group Team, built by Conquest Creative Spaces, sponsored by Blue Diamond
This garden features a thatched working forge, inspired by a National Trust-owned, 15th-century forge in Branscombe, Devon. Natural woodland provides the backdrop, with fruit trees pushing their way into the edges of the garden. Climbers and foliage soften the edges of the forge. Metalwork structures created by the smithy are inspired by nature and the surrounding garden.
Edible herbs and medicinal plants are mixed with wildflowers and marginals along the stream, together with plants pushing between the gaps in the cobbles.
Guide Dogs’ 90th Anniversary Garden SILVER
Designed by Adam Woolcott and Jonathan Smith, built by Conway Landscapes, sponsored by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
This garden celebrates 90 years of British guide dog partnerships with a dog-friendly wildflower garden, looking back to the 1930s. The first guide dogs were German Shepherds, and their owners were veterans blinded in the First World War.
Using life-size metal sculptures and sensory elements, the garden illustrates the journey somebody with sight loss takes, with the help of their guide dog. Ferns and dark foliage plants contrast with colourful meadow planting, of mostly native species. Bold blocks of contrasting colours are present, an element that partially-sighted people appreciate.
Chelsea Flower Show – Container Gardens and Balcony Gardens
- A Tranquil Space in the City: designed by Mika Misawa
- The IBC Pocket Forest: designed by Sara Edwards
- The Stolen Soul Garden: designed by Anna Dabrowska-Jaudi
- Pop Street Garden: designed by John McPherson
- The Hot Tin Roof Garden, designed by Ellie Edkins
The Balcony Gardens are as follows…
- Arcadia: designed by Martha Kremple
- Balcony of Blooms: designed by Alexandra Noble
- Green Sky Pocket Garden: designed by James Smith
- Sky Sanctuary: designed by Michael Coley
- The Landform Balcony Garden: designed by Nicola Hale
Feature Gardens (not judged)
Chelsea Flower Show medals – RHS COP26 Garden
Designed by Marie-Louise Agius, built by Swinburne Horticultural Services Ltd
In recognition of the UK hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, the RHS COP26 Garden demonstrates how gardens, plants and green spaces can play an integral part in protecting our planet.
The garden has four key themes: Decline, Adaptation, Mitigation and Balance. Decline is illustrated by flooding, drought, pests and diseases, with paved-over gardens, lack of pollinating plants and chemical use. Adaptation demonstrates how we can manage the changing climate by planting drought-tolerant meadows and fast-draining terrain, which helps alleviate flash flooding. Mitigation ideas include a wildlife garden, pollinators’ meadow, compost area and green front garden. Finally, Balance shows a modern, environmentally-friendly cottage garden area.
The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope
Designed by Arit Anderson, built by Landform Consultants Ltd, sponsored by BBC The One Show
The BBC One Show and the RHS Garden of Hope illustrate how gardening and growing plants provide hope and joy. Central to the design is a steam-bent wooden sculpture by Charlie Whinney, which has seating areas and a child’s swing.
The natural planting has trees, some turning with autumnal colours. Dense, rich green planting at the front becomes more colourful further back. A selection of edible plants is also included. After the show, the garden will be relocated to the Mother and Baby Unit Rosewood, part of Kent and Medway NHS Social Care Partnership Trust.
RHS Queen’s Green Canopy Garden – more on this garden here
Designed by David Dodd, built by The Outdoor Room
Chelsea Flower Show medals – Sanctuary Gardens
Bible Society: The Psalm 23 Garden GOLD, BEST SANCTUARY GARDEN and BEST CONSTRUCTION AWARD (Artisan/Sanctuary Garden)
Designed by Sarah Eberle, built by Landform Consultants Ltd, sponsored by Bible Society
Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd, could have been written for us as we live through the Coronavirus pandemic. The garden is inspired by the landscape of Dartmoor, where Sarah grew up. It draws you in and allows you to spend time with the soothing character of the landscape.
The show marks the launch of a campaign to see community gardens created and inspired by the Psalm 23 Garden. This will be an opportunity for people to create shared, beautiful spaces that reflect the insights and themes of the psalm and offer places of restoration and sanctuary for the future.
Finnish Soul Garden – A Nordic Heritage Seaside Garden SILVER-GILT
Designed by Taina Suonio, built by Conquest Creative Spaces, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
A seaside garden intended to be used as a recreational facility by city dwellers, it features natural Baltic seaside vegetation, a sauna and a cool-off area. The sauna has a vegetated roof and a water feature. In the planted cool-off area, the flowers reflect the understated charm of autumn.
Finnish Soul Garden celebrates the International Year of Plant Health 2020, which was initiated by Finland and approved by The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and declared by the UN General Assembly.
The Boodles Secret Garden SILVER-GILT
Designed by Thomas Hoblyn, built by The Garden Builders, sponsored by Boodles
Inspired by the children’s story by Frances Hodgson-Burnett, the garden is an interpretation of a journey to an enchanted, life-changing sanctuary. Tree ferns, grasses and spires of Verbena hastata in muted greens and creams entice you to look through a carved, louvred oak wall. In it is a secret garden brimming with jewel-like plants. Autumn snowflakes, Dahlia campanulata, and Fuchsia magellanica var. molinae introduce droplet structures and soft pink.
The wall has been created by Jan Hendzel Studio from sustainably sourced oak. The garden highlights the importance of finding an inner sanctuary to restore and enhance life after uncertainty and crisis.
The Calm of Bangkok SILVER-GILT
Designed by Tawatchai Sakdikul and Ploytabtim Suksang, built by AJ Watts Landscaping
The two sides of Bangkok meet in this minimal, modern garden, which represents the spirit and energy of the city conveyed through tropical-inspired planting, and its calm simplicity, in the shelter and hammock situated beyond the planting.
Luxuriant foliage plants convey contrasting aspects of the city. The calm spirit is presented by a cool palette and includes large-leaved Camellia japonica Bicolour, Acanthus mollis, Rue Ledan, Arum italicum and Asarum europaeum. There’s a backdrop hedge of Fagus sylvatica. The busyness of the city is portrayed with the hot reddish-purple tones of Actaea Chocoholic, Ajuga reptans Catlin’s Giant and Epimedium x versicolor Sulphureum.
The Parsley Box Garden SILVER and PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER
Designed by Alan Williams, built by Landform Consultants, sponsored by Parsley Box
This garden seeks to challenge the outdated stereotypes of ageing. An outdoor kitchen and an entertaining space are flanked by tiered planters, enabling accessibility. Aged brass planters allude to maturing with grace and beauty, contemporary smooth structures reference the stability of firm foundations and reclaimed wood hints at the fluidity of changes in identity throughout life.
The borders are brimming with edibles to forage while minimising food waste. Fragrant herbs, edible flowers and perennials also feature. Trees including Arbutus unedo, Malus Evereste, espalier fruit trees and Cornus kousa.
Finding Our Way: An NHS Tribute Garden SILVER
Designed by Naomi Ferrett-Cohen, built by Burnham Landscaping Ltd, sponsored by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Oxford, Gilead
This garden celebrates the work of the NHS during the pandemic, not just nurses and doctors, but also physiotherapists, pharmacists, porters, technicians and other unseen and unsung staff. At the same time, universities were working flat out to find treatments and vaccines.
Entering the garden, the imposing verticals of the timber canopy represent fear at the outset of the pandemic. Here, water starts its exploration through rills and pools, representing the collective efforts of the NHS and universities. From here, the garden provides an immersive experience, with a warm palette and soft textures of the planting, providing optimism and hope.
For more on RHS Chelsea Flower Show medals and exhibitors, visit www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea.
House Plant Studios
- N1 Garden Centre, Celebrate Autumn With House Plants GOLD and Best House Plant Studio
- Malvern Garden Buildings Ltd, The Green Room GOLD
- Forest, Forest In Your Home GOLD
- Patch in collaboration with The Edible Bus Stop, Pharmacy of House Plants SILVER-GILT
- Conservatory Archives Ltd, Green Bathroom SILVER
Floral Awards
Gold medal winners
- South West in Bloom/Stonebarn Community Floral Feature BEST EXHIBIT
- Raymond Evison Clematis, Clematis cultivars PRESIDENT’S AWARD
- Domoney Ltd, My House Plant Changed My Life BEST DISCOVERY EXHIBIT
- National Chrysanthemum Society NEW DESIGN AWARD
- NAFAS, Nature’s Sculptures
- Birmingham City Council
- Tendercare Nurseries Limited
- Communities in Bloom, Communities in Bloom
- Hare Spring Cottage Plants, Seasonal hardy plants
- Heucheraholics, Heuchera, Tiarella, × Heucherella and Pulmonaria
- Ashcroft’s, Perennials and Ornamental Grasses, Ornamental Grasses
- Sienna Hosta, British-grown hostas
- Green JJam Nurseries, Penstemon and complementary perennials
- Hoyland Plant Centre, Agapanthus
- Hoyland Plant Centre, Amarine and Nerine
- W.S. Warmenhoven, Allium and Amaryllis
- Chrysanthemums Direct, Cut flower bloom and spray chrysanthemums
- Pheasant Acre, Gladiolus and Dahlia
- Parigo Alstroemeria, Alstroemeria: Revival of a British Brand
- Dibley’s Nurseries, Streptocarpus, begonias and other house plants
- Ottershaw Cacti, Rare and unusual cacti and other succulents
- Roualeyn Fuchsias, Fuchsias
- Pennard Plants, Ten tomatoes that changed the world
- W & S Lockyer, Specimen succulents on a patio
- Brighter Blooms, Container-grown salad and vegetables
- Surreal Succulents, Rare and unusual succulents
- Every Picture Tells a Story Ltd, Bromeliads in a natural setting
- Kelnan Plants, Restios
- Medwyns of Anglesey, Vegetables
- Harkness Roses, Roses
- Larchfield Trees, Japanese maples, Japanese umbrella pines and Niwaki
- Tynings, Hardy and tender climbers for flower and foliage
- Norfield Nurseries Ltd, Acers and Japanese maples
- Kells Bay House & Gardens Ltd, Ferns of the World naturalised at Kells Bay Garden
- Plant Heritage, The National Plant Collection Everywhere
- Putney High School, GDST (Girls’ Day School Trust), The Biophilic Classroom
Silver-Gilt medal winners
- Primrose Hall Peonies, Peonies
- Orchid Society of Great Britain, Orchid Survival Kit
- Middleton Nurseries, Salvias
- Daisy Roots, Autumn perennials and grasses
- Binny Plants, Hardy perennials
- Hogarth Hostas, National collection of small and miniature hostas
- D’Arcy & Everest, Alpine and small unusual plants
- The Botanic Nursery, Salvias and complementary plants for bees
- Jacques Amand International Ltd, Autumn flowering bulbous plants
- Calamazag Nursery, Display of Dianthus
- Foster’s Exotic and Unusual Plants, Cacti and Succulents
- Agrumi Limited, The New Forest in Topiary
- Bowdens Nursery Ltd, Hostas, ferns, tree ferns, Agapanthus and bamboos
- Form Plants Ltd, Size Matters
- Sparsholt College Hampshire, The Natural Kalendar
Silver medal winners
- The Sun, New plants including Glandularia Margaret’s Memory
- Keith Partington Premier Alpines, Alpines and rock garden plants
- Grow Tropicals, Rare tropical terrarium plant display
- International Camellia Society (UK), Camellias as year-round plants for the garden
- Driftwood Bonsai, Bonsai trees
Bronze medal winners
- Plantbase, Exotic plants from around the world
- Bees For Development, Bees For Development
Floral Windows Awards
- Amanda Randell GOLD and BEST FLORAL WINDOW
- Keiko Flower Academy SILVER-GILT
- Fairford Flower Collective SILVER
- JamJar Edit SILVER
- Edie Rose BRONZE
- Branch-out BRONZE
Floral Installations Awards
- Thistle and Sprout Flowers GOLD and BEST FLORAL INSTALLATION
- In Water Flowers GOLD
- Fabulous Flowers SILVER-GILT
- Charlotte Smithson SILVER-GILT
- Little Garden Flowers SILVER
- Flowers of Elegance BRONZE
- Tracy Rowbottom Design BRONZE
- Larry Walshe Studios BRONZE
