Award-winning designers share their secrets for a Chelsea Flower Show look at home

The 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show showcased groundbreaking designs that blend creativity, sustainability, and cultural inspiration. This year’s winners, including Kazuyuki Ishihara’s Cha No Niwa – Japanese Tea Garden and the Carey Garden Design Studio’s Freedom To Flourish Garden, revealed strategies for transforming outdoor spaces into immersive experiences. Below, we break down their techniques and how homeowners can adapt them for smaller gardens.

Key Design Principles from Award-Winning Gardens

Emphasizing Natural Materials and Wildlife Habitats

The Addleshaw Goddard: Freedom To Flourish Garden by Carey Garden Design Studio earned gold for its coastal-inspired design, using gabions filled with natural materials to mimic Norfolk cliffs. This approach highlights two critical principles:

1. Material authenticity: Using locally sourced or reclaimed materials (e.g., stone, wood) creates a cohesive, organic aesthetic.
2. Biodiversity integration: Incorporating habitats for wildlife, such as insect hotels or native plant species, enhances ecological value.

Joe and Laura Carey’s design was praised for its “transportational” atmosphere, proving that even small spaces can evoke larger landscapes. For homeowners, this translates to selecting plants and structures that reflect regional ecosystems.

Incorporating Climate-Resilient Planting

Matthew Butler and Josh Parker’s Garden of the Future focused on climate adaptation, featuring drought-tolerant vegetables like common beans and a rainwater harvesting system. Key takeaways include:

• Drought-resistant plants: Prioritize species suited to local climate conditions (e.g., succulents, Mediterranean herbs).
• Water management: Install rainwater collection systems or permeable surfaces to reduce water waste.

This garden’s pink, purple, and white color palette also demonstrated how bold hues can unify a space without overwhelming it.

Blending Cultural Heritage with Modern Aesthetics

Kazuyuki Ishihara’s Cha No Niwa – Japanese Tea Garden won both the Garden of the Year and People’s Choice awards for its meticulous recreation of a traditional tea garden. Key elements include:

• Water features: A central pond or rill adds serenity and visual flow.
• Cultural symbolism: Incorporate elements like thatched structures or bonsai trees to evoke cultural narratives.

Ishihara’s design proves that traditional motifs can coexist with contemporary minimalism, offering a blueprint for homeowners seeking timeless appeal.

Practical Tips for Home Application

Replicating Coastal or Alpine Landscapes

The British Red Cross ‘Here for Humanity’ Garden by John Warland and Tom Bannister used stone column-like planters to mimic alpine troughs. For a similar look at home:

1. Vertical planting: Use tiered planters or gabions to maximize space.
2. Alpine species: Opt for low-maintenance plants like saxifrages or sedums.

This approach works well for balconies or small courtyards, creating a sense of elevation.

Creating Functional and Therapeutic Spaces

Jo Thompson’s Glasshouse Garden for The Glasshouse social enterprise emphasized “strong beauty” with robust roses and resilient perennials. To replicate this:

• Durable plants: Choose roses (e.g., Rosa ‘Emma Bridgewater’) or shrubs that thrive in varied conditions.
• Purpose-driven design: Allocate zones for specific activities (e.g., seating areas, herb gardens).

This garden’s success lies in balancing aesthetics with functionality, a lesson for homeowners prioritizing usability.

Leveraging Vertical and Roof Spaces

The Garden of the Future extended planting onto a roof, showcasing how underutilized areas can become productive. For home adaptation:

• Green roofs: Use sedums or creeping thyme in shallow trays.
• Wall-mounted gardens: Install trellises or living walls with climbing plants.

This technique is ideal for urban gardens or narrow plots, maximizing space while enhancing biodiversity.

Sustainability and Climate Adaptation Strategies

Rainwater Harvesting and Drought Management

Butler and Parker’s garden highlighted rainwater collection as a critical tool for sustainability. Homeowners can implement this by:

• Installing barrels: Place under downspouts to collect rainwater for irrigation.
• Permeable surfaces: Use gravel or permeable pavers to reduce runoff.

These methods align with broader climate goals, making them both practical and environmentally conscious.

Selecting Climate-Resilient Plants

The King’s Trust Garden: Seeding Success by Joe Perkins featured towering trees and self-seeding plants to mimic volcanic landscapes. For similar resilience:

• Native species: Choose plants adapted to local microclimates.
• Self-seeders: Allow plants like foxgloves or cosmos to propagate naturally.

This approach reduces maintenance while fostering ecological balance.

Cultural and Emotional Storytelling in Design

Evoking Regional Identity

The Freedom To Flourish Garden captured Norfolk’s coastal essence through gabions and native plants. Homeowners can achieve this by:

• Regional motifs: Incorporate local stones, driftwood, or traditional craftsmanship.
• Color palettes: Use earthy tones (greens, browns) to mirror natural landscapes.

This strategy creates a sense of place, making gardens feel deeply personal.

Designing for Mental Wellbeing

The British Red Cross garden’s calming streams and alpine species aimed to evoke tranquility. To replicate this:

• Water features: Add a small fountain or birdbath for soothing sounds.
• Sensory plants: Incorporate fragrant herbs (lavender, rosemary) or textured foliage.

Such elements align with the growing trend of gardens as mental health sanctuaries.

The 2025 Chelsea Flower Show demonstrated that award-winning designs are not just about grandeur but about intentionality. By prioritizing natural materials, climate resilience, and cultural storytelling, homeowners can create spaces that rival show gardens. Whether through vertical planting, rainwater systems, or symbolic motifs, these strategies offer actionable paths to transforming ordinary gardens into extraordinary ones.