RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year has been presented to Sarah Eberle, RHS Chelsea’s most decorated designer, for The Campaign to Protect Rural England: ‘On the Edge’.

The garden depicts the often overlooked countryside at the edge of towns and cities, vital green spaces that connect people to nature. The result brings Sarah’s RHS Chelsea gold medal count to 14 and Best In category wins to four, the most of any designer at RHS Chelsea.

On winning the award, Sarah said: “I am thrilled to bits to receive Garden of the Year. The difference between a good garden and a great garden is how it makes you feel and I'm often told by the next generation of gardeners that I have inspired them, which, if nothing else, is the greatest gift of all. This garden's mission is very personal to me. I am a country girl through and through so I embody the same message and beliefs that the Campaign to Protect Rural England and this garden holds.”

Chris Bailes, Chair of the Judging Panel, said: “Sarah's garden combines elements of myth and remarkable theatre.  The planting speaks to an exceptionally rare sense of atmosphere, created through a clear connection to the urban and the countryside. Unexpected beauty is found in the concrete drain repurposed from an agricultural accessory into a mesmerising water feature using common duckweed. The garden achieves a beautiful, natural planting style that is difficult to accomplish, bringing wildness into a garden space with elegance and light touch.”

Joe and Laura Carey take home a consecutive win of Best Small Show Garden with Addleshaw Goddard: Flourish in the City, a garden that celebrates the hidden gardens and pocket-sized oases of London.

Marie-Louise Agius, Chair of the Judging Panel said: “A subtle, dignified and elegant design, the garden is a masterpiece in the importance of pocket planting for green spaces in cities. Containing great messages regarding the future of our cities and the value of London’s 'green jewels', this garden is a celebration of exquisite detail, climate resilient planting and innovative materials.”

Best All About Plants Garden was presented to Woodland Trust: Forgotten Forests Garden by Ashleigh Aylett. Wrapping up the garden awards, Best Balcony and Container Garden went to A Little Garden of Shared Knowledge sponsored by Viking by Katerina Kantalis.

The third RHS Environmental Innovation Award was presented to Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis for The Eden Project: Bring Me Sunshine Garden, commended by Malcolm Anderson, RHS Head of Sustainability and Judge Paul Cowell as “an imaginative use of a pioneering material that brought meaningful engagement to visitors while championing sustainability. Central to the project is the innovative ClamCRETE, that significantly reduces emissions associated with traditional concrete.”

In the construction awards, Best Construction for a Show Garden was awarded to The Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ Garden designed by Darren Hawkes and built by Landscape Associates. Best Construction for a Small Garden went to Trussell’s Together Garden designed by Rob Hardy & Co and built by Peter Gregory Landscapes.

In the Great Pavilion, a total of 61 Gold Medals were awarded with Best Exhibit going to Leon Kluge Garden Design for The Flora of South Africa. Best Houseplant Studio was presented to An Ode to Endurance by Natalia Drezek and Jinhyun Ahn.

RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year was awarded to Hosta RED NINJA ('Nk2021') bred by Ninja Kramer and exhibited by Sienna Hosta. The plant was praised by the judges as a genuine breakthrough in breeding with truly unique and novel colouring – particularly the striking red tones in both leaves and stems.

In the new Sustainable Excellence Awards, top prizes were presented to Weleda for RHS Chelsea Sustainable Business of the Year, Gaze Burvill and their National Trust planter for RHS Chelsea Sustainable Garden Product of the Year and Seilich’s Meadow Blend Tea for RHS Chelsea Sustainable Lifestyle Product of the Year.

The full awards list is available on the RHS Website here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/press/shows/chelsea