Designing an RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden 2026
Rob Hardy & Co
Trussell’s Together Garden
Commissioned for the Chelsea Flower Show 2026 for Trussel, the anti-poverty organisations charity, and generously sponsored by Project Giving Back, this is a garden with a story that began long before the first plant went in the ground - and one that will continue long after the last visitor has enjoyed it.
A garden where beauty and community grow together
Inspired by people coming together to provide vital support, the Trussell’s Together Garden is the first Chelsea show garden to be relocated to Northern Ireland, taking permanent position outside Strabane Foodbank which supports over 1200 people with emergency food.
When we began researching food banks, we didn’t find what many people would imagine. Rather than stigma and isolation, we found a remarkable web of connection; volunteers and GPs, social services, local businesses and neighbours, all contributing to something that sustains not just the people who need it most but everyone around it. A reciprocal system, held together by the simple human act of showing up for each other.
Understanding that story inspired the brief. And that’s always how it works. The more deeply we listen at the start, the more honest our design becomes.
From brief to concept
How do you build an RHS Chelsea garden?
At the heart of our design is a reciprocal frame structure, a form where every element supports and is supported by others, where nothing stands alone. That’s the kind of thinking we bring to every project; finding a design idea that isn’t just beautiful but means something too.
Intersecting paths draw visitors through the garden and a unique water feature fills to create an intimate, reflective space before receding to reveal a larger gathering area that opens up to welcome a crowd.The planting uses combinations of texture and colour, with Verbascum, Thalictrum and Iris to reinforce the sense of togetherness achieved through combinations of diverse textures and colours, where something is created that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
This attention to detail, making sure every element of a garden is earning its place, is something we carry into every project we take on.
The RHS Chelsea Garden Design Process
01 Initial Concept Sketches
Every design starts with listening. For this garden, understanding the Trussell network and how each part sustains the other, shaped everything that followed. The reciprocal frame emerged from early conversations, first as matchstick models, then as the structural and symbolic heart of the entire design.
02 DEVELOPED DESIGN
We worked with structural engineer Mohamed Ali, to evolve the frame, as the main storytelling device of the garden. Many hours were spent wrestling with angles, geometry and load paths, always searching for the point where elegance meets engineering integrity.
03 Technical DESIGN
With the engineering resolved, we brought in physicist and craftsman Marcus Jacka at Non Standard Studio to shape the frame in timber. Each beam carries both the precision of engineering and the warmth of traditional craftsmanship, moving from digital drawings to solid wood in his workshop.
04 PLANTING PLAN & philospophy
The planting palette reflects the diversity of the community the garden celebrates - the range of colours and textures feel generous rather than controlled. We spent many days at Provender Nurseries with planting specialist Matt James of James & Co Landscapes, carefully selecting the trees and refining the plant list.
05 Material Selection
Every material was chosen with purpose. From the timber of the reciprocal frame to the stone of the paths and seating areas, each element needed to earn its place, connecting the garden’s story to its physical form. The dynamic water feature was developed in close partnership with Water Artisans, whose expertise shaped one of the garden’s most distinctive and meaningful elements.
06 Garden build
The month-long build is being led by Peter Gregory Landscapes, bringing every element together; structure, planting, water and stone, under our careful oversight. By working collaboratively with specialist contractors, we can ensure what gets built matches what was designed, and what was designed matches the story this garden was always meant to tell.
The Journey to Chelsea
Stage 1 - The Application
September - December 2024
We submitted our application to Project Giving Back, one of more than 500 received. Months of foodbank visits and close collaboration with Trussell follow, developing moodboards and early ideas. In December, we're shortlisted.
Stage 2 - Winning the brief
January - March 2025
We travelled to Strabane to visit the garden's future home. In February we presented to a panel of trustees and guest designers in London. In March, the call came: full funding secured. Everything suddenly felt very real.
Stage 3 - Design & Selection
June - October 2025
Two RHS interviews sharpened our design. We got the nod in August and reunited with Peter Gregory Landscapes. The wider team started to take shape and in October we were introduced to the media at the RHS Autumn Conference in London.
Stage 4 - Building towards May
November 2025 - April 2026
The reciprocal frame, water feature and planting palette are all developed and refined. A striking dark Irish stone is tracked down after months of searching. The first green shoots emerge at Provender. A seven-metre specimen tree arrives. In April, the perfect stone is finally found - the garden is ready to be built.
Behind the scenes
Designing a Chelsea show garden is a journey unlike any other. Follow along as we share the decisions, the discoveries and the moments where it all starts to feel real.
For the Tressel Trust
The garden is being built for Trusell and will be relocated to Strabane Foodbank in Northern Ireland after the show.
In 2025, foodbanks in the Trussell community provided nearly 3 million parcels for people facing hardship. It’s not right that anyone faces hunger in the UK. The garden tells the story of how, together, we can end poverty in the UK with everyone playing their part.
Project Giving back
Trussell’s Together Garden is sponsored by Project Giving Back, set up to give charitable organisations in the UK the chance to exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Their support will also fund the garden’s relocation to Northern Ireland, a first for Project Giving Back, ensuring that gardens created for good causes live on in each of the four UK nations for years to come.
With thanks to our partners and collaborators
Designing a garden for The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a collaborative endeavor. It takes a dedicated team of skilled experts to realise a garden at the level of precision, craftsmanship and detail that the show demands.
Hard landscaping is being crafted by Peter Gregory Landscapes, while Matt James of James & Co Landscapes is leading our planting team, with all plants supplied by Provender Nurseries. The reciprocal frame has been developed in consultation with Mohamed Ali and constructed by Non Standard Studio.
Water Artisans are supporting the design and development of the dynamic water feature and Jack Taylor of ReRenderUK has brought our designs to life through beautiful crafted visuals.
Under the direction of our founder Rob Hardy, the team is composed of talented garden designers, horticulturists, surveyors and project managers based in our Yorkshire studio.
“Our garden makes a powerful statement - that when people come together, we can end hunger. Created in partnership with Trussell, it’s a space for both community gatherings and quiet, intimate conversations. It unites people in their shared belief that change is possible; a place where beauty meets purpose.” - Rob Hardy
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