Gold medals and Best in Show are what the garden designers work towards, but the People’s Choice Award has become the most sought-after at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It's voted for by the public, as opposed to official judges, and often (as previous year's have shown), the public's favourite gardens differ from the judges' Best in Show winners.
For this mammoth accolade – the BBC/RHS People's Choice Garden of the Decade – the power was once again in the hands of the public. See all the contenders below and recap Mark's winning design.
2018 – Welcome to Yorkshire designed by Mark Gregory - WINNER
Landform Consultants
Mark's breathtaking garden was one of the biggest highlights of the Chelsea Flower Show in 2018. The garden was a realistic representation of the Yorkshire Dales, celebrating Yorkshire’s natural materials, traditional crafts and artisan food production. Commenting on the garden, Monty Don previously said: 'In all the years I've been coming to Chelsea, I've never known a garden that has had such an immediate reaction.'
2019 – The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden designed by Mark Gregory
Rachel Warne
Mark's show garden in 2019 was inspired by Yorkshire’s proud history of industry, manufacturing and innovation, as well as the county’s stunning natural environment and many green spaces. It featured authentic Yorkshire stonework, trees local to the county, flowing water and genuine canal lock gates donated by the Canal & River Trust. Mark said his 99th show garden had been his most ambitious to date.
2017 – The Morgan Stanley Garden designed by Chris Beardshaw
RHS/Neil Hepworth
The inspiration for this garden stemmed from Chris's study of fractal geometry and patterns found in nature. There were colourful flower borders and a mixture of formal and informal planting with the centrepiece, an oak and limestone loggia, designed in the shape of a leaf. Rather famously, even though he was 'undoubtedly' tipped for a gold medal in 2017, Chris was awarded a silver-gilt for this garden.
2016 – God’s Own County: A Garden for Yorkshire designed by Matthew Wilson
NICOLE CUBBIDGE / Alamy Stock Photo
Matthew's beautiful garden in 2016 was inspired by the huge East Window at York Minster; the largest single expanse of medieval stained glass in Britain.
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2015 – Sentebale - Hope in Vulnerability designed by Matthew Keightley
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Matthew's garden in 2o15 was designed to raise awareness of Sentebale’s work in providing healthcare and education to the most vulnerable children in Lesotho, South Africa.
2014 – Help for Heroes ‘Hope on the Horizon’ designed by Matthew Keightley
Matt Cardy//Getty Images
Matthew designed this garden at RHS Chelsea in 2014 for the Help the Heroes charity, 'Hope on the Horizon', which addressed the war in Afghanistan. Matthew's brother, Michael, served in the RAF Regiment and had been deployed for his fifth tour in 2014.
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2013 – The Arthritis UK Garden designed by Chris Beardshaw
flowerphotos / Alamy Stock Photo
Chris' personal battle against arthritis led him to create this garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2013. The planting and sculpture reflected the impact of arthritis on sufferers' lives.
2012 – The Arthritis Research UK Garden designed by Tom Hoblyn
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Inspired by the great Renaissance gardens of Italy, Tom stripped away the flamboyance and decadence to reveal a more minimal design in his winning 2012 garden.
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2011 – Irish Sky Garden designed by Diarmuid Gavin
Chris Jackson//Getty Images
One of the more unusual designs, this garden in the sky took the shape of a large pink pod containing what was essentially a traditional garden. It was a success for Diarmuid in 2011, who won a gold medal.
2010 – The M&G Garden designed by Roger Platts
Chris Jackson//Getty Images
Described as a traditional 'British garden full of plants', Roger's garden at RHS Chelsea in 2010 featured oak pergolas, a circular 'ripple' pool, and a central crescent shape with pathways that led to an oak summerhouse.
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