The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) revealed the winners of this year’s People’s Choice Awards at the Chelsea Flower Show, chosen by public vote from the event’s most admired gardens.
Four winners across categories
Visitors selected favorites in four categories: Large Show Gardens, Small Show Gardens, Balcony and Container Gardens, and All About Plants Gardens. Each winner earned the BBC/RHS People’s Choice Award for their category.
Arit Anderson claimed the top spot in Large Show Gardens for Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey. Though she had designed feature gardens at Chelsea before, this marked her first judged entry. The project began with workshops for people living with Parkinson’s to ensure the design addressed their needs. “The whole garden started with a workshop with people who had Parkinson’s who were gardeners,” Anderson said. “We felt we had to make sure we understood their needs.”
In Small Show Gardens, Rob Hardy won for Trussell’s Together Garden.
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The Balcony and Container Gardens award went to Tina Worrows for the Alzheimer’s Society: Microbes and Minds Garden.
Melanie Hick won the All About Plants category with The Bat Conservation Trust’s Nocturnal Garden. She called the recognition “so rewarding” and said she wanted to create a biodiverse, wildlife-friendly space people would want at home. “It means everything,” Hick added. “I always intended to present a biodiverse and wildlife friendly garden design that Chelsea garden visitors would want at home.”
Public vote shapes the show’s legacy
The awards demonstrate how the Chelsea Flower Show has expanded beyond traditional displays. This year’s winners focused on health and environmental causes, with each garden tied to a specific community or issue.
For designers, the award holds significance beyond medals. A public vote confirms their work connects with visitors, not just judges. It’s one of the few moments when the audience determines what stands out.
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All four winning gardens served a purpose beyond beauty. Whether addressing neurological health, dementia research, or wildlife conservation, each project turned complex issues into living spaces.
Public engagement with the show is changing. While celebrity designers still draw crowds, the People’s Choice winners show visitors increasingly favor gardens with meaningful stories. These projects reflect real-world challenges and solutions.
Hick, accepting her award, said, “I look forward to creating my next artistic biodiverse garden.” For now, the public’s choice is clear.
