The RHS Badminton Flower Show took place from 8 to 12 July 2026, on the Badminton Estate in Gloucestershire, replacing this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace, which has become a biennial show. This new show featured a host of exciting gardens and plants for its visitors.
The event included the largest ever RHS feature garden, The Julia Rausing Garden by Tom Stuart-Smith, alongside singer Will Young and plantsman and TV presenter Jamie Butterworth. The garden, measuring 2,400 square metres, paid tribute to Julia Rausing, a British philanthropist and garden lover who sadly died in 2024.
Show Gardens at RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026
One of the stars of the show was The Archers 75th Anniversary Garden by Jo Thompson. The garden celebrated the 75th anniversary of BBC 4’s long-running radio drama and gave visitors the sense they were peeking into the front garden of Ambridge’s fictional Bridge Farm.
Another notable garden was the Perfume Pavilions by Nicholsons Garden Design, which featured a host of fragranced plants, including lavender, honeysuckle, daphne, and phlox. The garden included two greenhouses showcasing scented foliage plants, such as geraniums.
It featured a wildflower meadow and woodland-edge flower garden, taking inspiration from Badminton’s surrounding countryside.
Finding Hope by Rick Ford and Pip Probert, sponsored by Gardens by Rick Ford and Pip Probert Garden Design in support of CALM, highlighted the work of the suicide prevention charity. The garden was structured around 16 squares to represent the number of lives lost to suicide every day, characterised by natural materials and a restrained planting palette for a calming and gentle feel.
More Gardens and Features
Other gardens at the show included the Macmillan Cancer Support: The Nascent Shade Garden by Elle Arnett, which emphasised the power of legacy giving. The garden featured sculptural birch trees and lime and stone sculptures, reflecting Macmillan’s mission to close the gap between the best and worst cancer experiences. It won a gold medal and the Best Construction Award.
The Oregon – The Productive Garden by Sadie May Stowell, sponsored by Travel Oregon, captured some of the defining elements of Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the US. The garden featured flowing water, fruit trees, and pollinator-friendly planting, with a predominantly blue, white, and pale yellow planting scheme.
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The Cricket Pavilion Garden by Stephen Moody, sponsored by Alitex in support of Young at Heart, celebrated over 150 years of English cricket bat manufacturing in East Sussex. The garden combined a traditional cricket pavilion and a neatly clipped lawn with colourful planting, giving a nod to the cricket ground at Old Heathfield, East Sussex. It won a gold medal and the Best Show Garden.
A Space For Her by Sophie Sturgeon, sponsored by Ground Control Ltd, was a garden for girls and young women to find support and confidence away from societal pressures and social media. The garden featured thoughtful elements such as a sunken space for contemplation, and a raised decking area for conversation.
Where Grief Grows Quiet by Sophie Leo, sponsored by Blue Diamond Garden Centres supporting Maggie’s, won a gold medal, the RHS Young Designer of the Year award, and the Best Construction Award. Inspired by ancient sheepfolds, the garden is designed to be a peaceful sanctuary for rest and reflection.
Artisan and Heritage Gardens
Electuary by Joshua Fenton, sponsored by Daylesford (TBC), Arbour Environment Solutions, and Stark & Greensmith, drew on his experience as a beekeeper, incorporating natural materials and layered planting. Herbal remedies were key to the planting, with native choices including hawthorn, dandelions, nettles, and borage.
Honing Heritage by Nick Leitch, sponsored by Great British Gardens, Beltane Forge, Nature First Trees, Hedgeworx, Cotswold Natural Stone, and David Austin Roses, highlighted the importance of handmade crafts in historic garden design. The garden paid homage to the Arts and Crafts movement and included climate-resilient species such as Nepeta and Yucca glauca (soapweed).
Ruskin Mill Trust – Artisan Woodland Craft Garden by Rachael Austin, sponsored by Ruskin Mill Trust, won a gold medal and was highly commended in the RHS Environmental Innovation Award category. The garden celebrated artisan woodland crafts and featured a variety of natural materials and planting.
The Split Hazel Basketry Garden by Henry T Pope, sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers, Frater Urban Quarry, Chew Valley Trees, Environment Plus, and Sweetwater Plant Nursery, won a gold medal.
