The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show revealed the winners of its 2026 People’s Choice Awards, determined by public vote across four categories. The awards honor gardens that connected most with visitors during this year’s event.
Four categories, four winners
Visitors cast ballots for gardens in Large Show Gardens, Small Show Gardens, Balcony and Container Gardens, and All About Plants Gardens. Each category produced one winner.
Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey, created by Arit Anderson, won the Large Show Gardens category. Anderson, who has designed feature gardens at Chelsea before, developed this space with input from people living with Parkinson’s. She organized a workshop with gardeners who have the condition to shape the design.
“The whole garden started with a workshop with people who had Parkinson’s who were gardeners,” Anderson said. “We had to make sure we understood their needs.” The award marks her first judged show garden at Chelsea.
Trussell’s Together Garden, designed by Rob Hardy, won the Small Show Gardens award. While details about its design were not fully explained, its selection shows public support for the concept.
A focus on health and conservation
The other two categories highlighted gardens linked to health and wildlife. Alzheimer’s Society: Microbes and Minds Garden, by Tina Worboys, won the Balcony and Container Gardens category. It examines how soil microbes may influence brain health, though specific features were not described.
The Bat Conservation Trust’s Nocturnal Garden, designed by Melanie Hick, won the All About Plants category. Hick called the garden a biodiverse, wildlife-friendly space meant for home gardens. “It’s so rewarding to receive the endorsement of the public,” she said. “It means everything.”
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This year’s winners reflect a shift toward gardens that serve practical purposes alongside beauty. Many support health, community, or conservation efforts.
Public vote offers a distinct perspective
The People’s Choice Awards differ from the RHS’s official judging, which awards medals based on design, horticulture, and innovation. While experts choose the medal winners, visitors decide the People’s Choice Awards.
This year’s results favored gardens with social or environmental goals. Three winners were created with charities, and the fourth focused on wildlife. The pattern aligns with Chelsea’s growing emphasis on advocacy, and the public’s response indicates strong interest in gardens that serve a purpose beyond appearance.
Hick’s Nocturnal Garden, for instance, included features to attract bats and other wildlife, such as water sources and native plants. The public’s vote suggests a preference for designs that prioritize ecology.
For Anderson, the award holds personal meaning. Her sister lives with Parkinson’s, and the garden incorporated input from those it aims to help. The recognition confirms the value of centering real experiences in design.
Images of the winning gardens were released with the announcement, though the RHS did not share construction details or voting totals. The full list of medal winners appeared in a separate release.
