Once again the Landscape Institute attended RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Carolin Göhler FLI, President & Rob Hughes, CEO, joined on Monday, the first day of the show, to speak with industry leaders, stakeholders and members. On Wednesday, Tracy Whitfield, Technical & Research Manager & myself, Oliver Ryan, Communications Officer, spoke with members that were exhibiting and looked at the trends at this year’s show. We also got the opportunity to speak with the RHS to discuss future collaboration between organizations. On Thursday Mohammed Abumahlula, Digital & Social Media Lead & Andrew Rylah, Policy & Public Affairs Manager, attended an afterhours function and met with members and also discussed the launch of Landscape-Led* with industry partners.

This blog provides a snapshot, including interviews with exhibitors, key takeaways, standout moments and reflections on this year’s exciting RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

As always there was a buzz of excitement when you walk into the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Everyone is keen to see their favorite garden, will it be as good in person or will another catch your eye? Will you agree with the judges, these are questions that you over hear when entering the show.

I asked Rob Hughes, CEO, about his thoughts on this year’s show.

This year, it was great to see so many members involved in this year’s show. Many achieving medal places, which is great and also well deserved. All members involved in the show in any capacity should be applauded for their dedication in contributing to create such unique and interesting gardens.

Tracy Whitfield and I were fortunate to receive a tour from Jo Thompson FLI around her garden.  The garden celebrates the second chance effect that horticulture can bring. Walking through the space you get a real sense of hope and aspiration for the future. The pavilion also reflects this tone. There are moving panels that you may initially think are glass however they are tinted recycled acrylic which picks up the colors from the garden when you open them. The gentle sound of the water which circles around the space adds to the tranquil energy of the garden.

Jo Thompson FLI received a Gold medal for her garden titled ‘The Glasshouse Garden’

‘Firstly Jo, congratulations on your well deserved Gold medal. My first question, one that you will have heard many times this week, what inspired you to create this garden?’

The inspiration for the garden was the Glasshouse Program that trains women who are coming to then end of their sentence with horticulture. I was able to go and speak to the women and ask them what they would want and look for in their ideal garden. It was clear from talking to them they wanted a space that was private yet looked out onto the garden. This is what inspired the elliptical billiard doors in the pavilion seating area. There is not one door but a series of doors that can be angled and altered to provide those inside with their preference. Once the show is over, the garden will be taken and relocated to HMP Down view.

Jo would you be able to tell us about the current site at HMP Down-view?

Currently there is an empty space of land, so it will be really good to turn what is an un-utilized space into a garden that the women can use and train in horticulture. Currently they have been learning about indoor plants but now with this space moving to the site, it will open up the world of outdoor gardening to them. The space will also be used as a reflective area where people can meet with councilors and whoever they choose.

Often water features can be dramatic and the star of the show, however in the garden here it feels like a welcome part that was designed to include it from the beginning. It elegantly circles around the pavilion to create this island effect. Could you tell us more about it?

Certainly, when speaking with some of the women they said that one thing they miss a lot is the sound of running water and water in nature so this is why it was so crucial to have water be a part of the garden.

How has being a member of the Landscape Institute had an impact on your career?

I would say there is an element of respect with being a member. There is a great deal of resources you can gain from being a member of the LI. Being around peers that are members also helps you learn and develop as the knowledge across the LI membership is so vast.

Regarding the planting, what would you say is the standout plant that has caught the public’s eye?

I would say the roses have really stood out to people as they have not really been used much this year. People often say roses are not a resilient plant but actually they are, it’s just a question of putting the rose in the right place.

If you could sum up the garden in one word, what would it be?

Serene.

Bridgette Macilwaine CMLI, Chair of the South East Branch was part of Tom Hoblyn’s Planting team during the show.

Bridgette please could you tell me about your involvement in this year’s show?

Collaborating alongside passionate and creative individuals as part of the planting team for Tom Hoblyn’s UK Hospice Garden of Compassion for Chelsea Flower Show 2025 has been a fantastic experience, as well as working alongside the hardworking team of Mark Whyman Landscapes so see this garden come to life. From the bright light of dawn to the fading glow of dusk over the Chelsea grounds, the team spent long hours immersed in the creation of the garden, transforming Tom Hoblyn’s vision into the Mediterranean-inspired sanctuary. Hospice gardens offer vital spaces that support healing and well-being for patients, families, and caregivers, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to a garden which holds such meaningful purpose.

Have you attended RHS Chelsea Flower Show before and if so, how many times?

Yes, I’ve attended the Chelsea Flower Show several times over the past 6 years, and have also assisted the team during the planting week on two of Andy Sturgeon’s previous show gardens.

What plant do you feel stands out most to you this year? – This could either be your personal favorite, one that you feel you are seeing used throughout the show or simply one that captured your attention.

Tom’s garden is definitely a favorite for planting, featuring carefully selected climate-resilient species suited to Mediterranean temperatures. The pops of color from the Poppies, Adonis, Marrubium and the Lupins, against the soft swaying Hordeum grasses added a delightful vibrant layer to the planting scheme. One of my favorites was Malabaila Aurea, with tiny vivid yellow flowers and the most surprising beautiful seed heads, resembling green roses, formed of small heart shape elements. This plant was grown from seeds collected by Tom himself, adding a wonderful personal touch to the garden.

Which Garden do you feel you connected with the most?

I feel particularly connected to the UK Hospice garden, having recently experienced the  challenges of end of life care, while assisting family in hospital over the past couple of months, and understanding the emotional and physical challenges which arise for the patients, families and hospital teams. This project has been truly meaningful to me, knowing that the garden would be offering a therapeutic space, fostering comfort, peace and connection to the patients at St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham.

If you could sum up this year’s show in one word, what would it be?

Transformative.

Andrew Rylah and Mohammed Abumahlula caught up with Joe Perkins CMLI about his garden. The King’s Trust Garden: Seeding Success, highlights the pioneering spirit of those part of the Kings Trust with the use of plants and how the seeding process represent the potential for life, growth and optimism for the future.

The King’s Trust Garden Seeding Success is inspired by the young people who have been in contact with the King’s Trust. There are parallels between the planting and the lives of many young people. The garden highlights a chance to develop, grow and its resilience. Walking around the space, your eye is caught by gems like the Papaver Somniferous, the back poppy and the enormous pines that give a real sense of opening the space up to the sky.

Joe, could you tell us about the garden?

The garden highlights the growth a development of young people who have been in contact with the King’s Trust. The use of seeds highlights growth and the next generation. I added a lot of resilient plants that can adapt and really thrive and this is also the story for many involved in the Kings Trust.

Joe Perkins received a Gold medal for his garden titled ‘The King’s Trust Garden: Seeding Success’

Could you tell us about the overall planting for the garden?

Yes, so the planting is inspired by volcanic landscapes like the Mediterranean. There are areas of the garden that are sparce and rocky, and areas of compact planting.

Could you tell us more about the inspiration for the garden?

The King’s Trust, formerly the Prince’s Trust, has helped over one million people into work and education since 1976. The plants tell the story but the architectural work with the glass screens bare that visual representation of seeds flowing through the wind. I used colored glass to link to stained glass windows which is seen as a material used in traditional educational settings. I wanted something more contemporary so it is colored but not stain glass.

The King visited your garden, could you tell us about his reaction?

The King is well known for being passionate about sustainability, biodiversity and the arts. This garden is very much a culmination of the three. He was hugely passionate about the garden.

What has the response been to the garden?

Very positive, the public understands the story behind it and the beauty of the garden, it has been so great to hear that the message is understood by those that view it.

If you could sum up the garden in one word, what would it be?

Optimism.

Andrew Rylah and Mohammed Abumahlula caught up with Nigel Dunnet FLI about his garden.

Nigel, could you please tell us about the garden and the inspiration behind it?

The garden has a charity partner which is Hotspitalfield Arts, a charity based in Arbroath, Scotland. The charity supports young and emerging artists, developing their careers, and their work journey.

The garden is grounded in the landscape it is inspired by and this is reflected in every part of the garden from the planting, the materials used and the fluidity of the space.

Nigel Dunnet FLI received a Silver-Gilt Medal for his garden titled ‘The Hospitalfield Arts Garden’

Nigel, could you tell us about the garden?

From Arbroath, they are very fortunate to have a great view of the sea and the beaches. This is what inspired the sand dunes in the center of the space. This is not meant to be a copy of the exact landscape in Arbroath, it is more trying to capture the landscape through an artistic lens. This is something I wanted to really focus on as I think we often as Landscape Architects loose sight of this, the fact that it is really an artform and we therefore often overly focused on technicalities. Rather than saying ‘we need to put a sculpture in the garden’ instead the sculpture is the whole garden. Landscape Architecture is an art form as we are bringing people and nature together.  

Could you tell us about the planting in the garden?

We did the opposite of the conventional thing we often think when planning the planting of a garden. Normally you try to create a lush substrate full with manure which will result in vibrant lush plants. As this is a landscape by the sea, the substrate here is dominated by sand and grit, some would class this as low-quality substrate. However for coastal resilient planting, it is most beneficial to the plants.

Nigel, what has the response been to the garden?

The response to the garden has been big, the garden is very different and it raises lots of questions and is very thought provoking.

How has being a member of the Landscape Institute had an impact on your career?

Being a member of the Landscape Institute I believe gives you the more rounded view on the people picture of the green and social networks. I strongly feel landscape architecture is definitely the right discipline for helping solve the issues we currently face.

If you could sum up the garden in one word, what would it be?

That is tough, I would have to say a few, joyful, Joyace, positive. It is a glimpse into how future landscape could be.

I am also a professor at the University of Sheffield, I can say it is often very difficult to recruit students into landscape architecture because it is a subject that is not well known. I hope by doing projects like this and speaking about the profession, it will help raise awareness.

I asked Tracy Whitfield her overall thoughts on the show.

 From all our members exhibiting this year, there seemed to be an overall theme that gardens, plants and nature are a source for wellbeing, supporting mental health, growth, and recovery.

It played a big part in their designs, materials used and their collaborations. Throughout Chelsea, there were many combinations of vibrant yellow with deep purple and soft grasses or silvers scattered through softening the effect.

Many of the trees seemed to be chosen for their interesting bark in addition to their fantastic shape. The Cornus Kousa, Dogwood (Cornus kousa|kousa/RHS Gardening), seemed to be a repeating theme with a number of varieties on show, creating elegant structures to look through. Sustainability and forward thinking about where a garden will be relocated was a vital consideration in design and build choices which seemed to influence the medal choices this year too.

Our plant of the year.

Myself and Tracy Whitfield both agreed the plant of the year, that is the one that caught our eye and seemed to appear so much this year at the show is the, Dogwood, There are so many varieties to the Cornus genus but the ones that caught our eye throughout were the kousa & Florida. These white blooms set against deep green foliage were a welcome sight.

Congratulations to all LI members that were involved in any capacity at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025.

Blog written by Oliver Ryan, Communications Officer, Landscape Institute. Thank you to all those who have contributed.

*Landscape-Led is a briefing report published by the Landscape Institute on 14/5/25. For more information click here.