We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Preview the upcoming Show Gardens at RHS Chelsea 2026 — and a legendary designer is back to wow the crowds once more
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is back in May 2026 with spectacular gardens, plants and inspiration for all gardeners both new or seasoned.
Announced during a press conference at the RHS Lindley Library in London (20th October 2025), the show's organisers unveiled the first 13 gardens to appear at the most prestigious gardening event in the world. There was also a surprise announcement – multi-award-winning landscape designer Sarah Eberle, who will be marking her 50th year in horticulture, will be coming out of Show Garden retirement to design a special garden for The Campaign to Protect Rural England (Sarah's last Chelsea Show Garden was in 2022).
We'll also see the return of some familiar faces, from veteran garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith and award-winning designer Arit Anderson, to last year's triumphant gold medal and best-in-show winner, Kazuyuki Ishihara.
'This year our amazing RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens demonstrate the transformative benefits of gardens and gardening. They take a re-energised and uplifting approach to creating special places that highlight hope and resilience and where everyone can feel the restorative power of plants and wildlife,' says Helena Pettit, RHS director of shows.
'There is a focus on individual empowerment and personal choice to benefit nature and our world and a host of inspirational gardening ideas to ignite the excitement of all those who love gardening.'
Similar to the 2025 show, there will be a mix of large and small Show Gardens. And, grant-giving charity, Project Giving Back, will once again be supporting gardens for good causes, supporting several of this year’s designs.
Explore the 13 Show Gardens at RHS Chelsea 2026 and buy tickets to see the designs up close next year...
The Killik & Co. 'A Seed In Time' Garden by Baz Grainger is a modern and resilient garden that incorporates heritage crafts to encourage sustainability and wildlife into gardens. Using the idea of 'making more from less', the garden captures rainwater, supports biodiversity, and responds sensitively to climate unpredictability.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Killik & Co / Contractor: Landform Consultants Ltd
The Campaign to Protect Rural England: On the Edge designed by Sarah Eberle, shines a light on the overlooked countryside at the edge of our towns and cities.
The garden will be set on undeveloped land looked after by a community on the urban fringe, showcasing nature's resilience with a fallen mature tree that still supports life. It aims to highlight the importance of ‘edgelands’ connecting people to nature.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Project Giving Back supporting Campaign to Protect Rural England / Contractor: The Outdoor Room
Set in a nostalgic Japanese courtyard, the Tokonoma Garden – Samumaya no Niwa, designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara and Paul Noritaka Tange, invites visitors to reflect, connect, and appreciate traditional beauty. Designed to evoke the view from a small tea room, the garden celebrates harmony, family bonds, and community spirit.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: NIPPON Calmic / Contractor: Daikanyama Kadan
Set on a tranquil woodland edge, the Asthma + Lung UK Breathing Space Garden by Angus Thompson highlights those living with chronic illnesses and aims to provide ‘breathing space’ to recover and reconnect. Pine trees, known for their natural antioxidant and immune-boosting qualities, anchor a sheltered space for breath-supporting therapies.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Project Giving Back / Contractor: Dan Flynn
The Tate Britain Garden by Tom Stuart-Smith presents a bold vision of how art, nature and community interact. It is in fact a sneak preview of the Clore Garden at Tate Britain, ahead of its autumn 2026 opening – the museum garden will provide an inviting new green space for Londoners to be inspired by art amidst a biodiverse haven of plants.
• Category: Large Show Garden
Sponsor: Project Giving Back and Clore Duffield Foundation supporting Tate / Contractor: Crocus
The Children’s Society Garden by Patrick Clarke hopes to regenerate optimism in a younger generation. The design draws inspiration from the Japanese concept of ‘wabi-sabi’ – the recrafting of discarded materials to create a garden where both teenagers and plants can develop a resilient network.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Project Giving Back supporting The Children’s Society / Contractor: Yoreland Design Ltd
Arit Anderson returns with Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey. It's designed as a place of harmony for those living with and assisting those with Parkinson’s. Joyful, jewel-toned perennials and annuals will uplift and energise.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Project Giving Back supporting Parkinson’s UK / Contractor: Landscape Associates
The Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ Garden by Darren Hawkes honours those diagnosed with one of five gynaecological cancers. Designed to encourage conversations and promote discussion around women’s cancers, a meandering path will guide visitors through richly planted borders containing shifting tones of colour weaving between five sculptures.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Lady Garden Foundation / Contractor: Landscape Associates
Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth by Max Parker-Smith inspires us to imagine an epic Australian train journey across the outback, linking Adelaide and Perth. One half of the garden will recreate the Western Australian outback and the other will reflect the National Park City of Adelaide’s green urban vision.
• Category: Small Show Garden
• Sponsor: Journey Beyond, the South Australian Tourism Commission & Tourism Western Australia / Contractor: Hardwood Landscapes
The Eden Project: Bring Me Sunshine Garden by Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis celebrates hope and the power of young adults building brighter and more positive futures. A key feature will be a pioneering solar-powered structure to provide shelter, while the planting reflects the setting of Morecombe Bay with salt-tolerant plants embodying the Eden Project’s mission to inspire positive action for the planet.
• Category: Large Show Garden
• Sponsor: Project Giving Back supporting The Eden Project / Contractor: Landscape Associates
The Addleshaw Goddard: Flourish in the City garden by Joe and Laura Carey links gardens with urban living. Pocket-sized oases stitch cities together and London’s status as the first National Park City serve as a base for the garden. Homage is paid to London’s oyster trade though the garden’s structure and form.
• Category: Small Show Garden
• Sponsor: Addleshaw Goddard / Contractor: The Outdoor Room
Trussell’s Together Garden by Rob Hardy tackles issues of hunger and the positive impact of food banks. Inspired by people coming together to help those on low incomes, the theme of ‘togetherness is expressed through intersecting paths and bright, colourful planting. The pea family (Fabaceae) will be used for their ability to enrich the soil and support others, reflecting compassion and solidarity.
• Category: Small Show Garden
• Sponsor: Project Giving Back / Contractor: Peter Gregory Landscapes
The Boodles Garden by Catherine MacDonald is inspired by much-loved features found within the four Historic Royal Palaces, including The Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. The garden reflects a popular romantic, gardenesque style of planting, using cultivated species with a strong emphasis on ‘jewel’ colours.
• Category: Small Show Garden
• Sponsor: Boodles / Contractor: Gadd Brothers Trees and Landscapes
RHS Chelsea breaks its gnome ban — thanks to King Charles
A Chelsea garden perfect for tea lovers
A mini flower farm is coming to RHS Chelsea 2026
Exciting RHS Chelsea news announced
