BBC / RHS People’s Choice Award

Kazuyuki Ishihara and his team have been wowing us for many years with designs that bring Japanese culture to the show in intricate detail and this year he is the winner of the BBC/RHS People’s Choice award. Communication and harmony are the theme of the garden, with stones and plants thoughtfully placed to interact with each other in this beautiful space.

Designed to feel like being hugged, this garden was enjoyed by the public for both its story and its sense of playfulness, with surprising water spouts, water to walk through and a cocooning retreat to sit in. Surrounded by woodland planting, the garden hopes to challenge misconceptions and barriers faced by people with Down’s syndrome, reflecting on their compassion and empathy, positivity and determination.

This cheerful Balcony Garden is packed with brilliant take-home ideas for a small space and caught the eye of the voting public. Geometric shapes in different colours feature on the back wall, showing fun new ways to create a bug hotel. A cosy seating nook, pollinator-friendly planting and even a small table and chairs really made the most of this compact space.

A slice of British rainforest came to RHS Chelsea Flower Show, in a garden filled with atmosphere. A tumbling waterfall surrounded by lush planting filled the senses with sound and movement and created a little bit of magic which the public loved. Leaning silver birch trees, mosses and lichens all gave the garden a sense of place and shared the story of this precious habitat that is becoming increasingly rare.