Finding beauty at the edge | RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year

The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: ‘On the Edge’ was awarded* RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year and a Gold Medal at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.* The garden is sponsored by Project Giving Back.

Landscape architecture by Sarah Eberle

This year’s RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year turns its attention to a landscape most of us pass without a second thought.

Designed by Sarah Eberle for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), On the Edge explores the edgelands – overlooked strips of countryside that sit between towns and rural landscapes, places often dismissed as wasteland, yet rich in ecological and social value.

Created during CPRE’s centenary year, the garden offers a hopeful vision of how these spaces can be protected, restored and appreciated as part of everyday life.

1 Sculptural focal feature emerging from lush planting designed by Sarah Eberle for RHS CFS.

1 Layered Urtica dioica, nettle in garden designed by Sarah Eberle for RHS CFS — *Urtica dioica* (nettle)

1 Naturalistic wildflower meadow surrounding a striking Greek Earth goddess Gaia sculptural installation by Sarah Eberle at RHS CFS.

1 Wildflower planting reflecting the beauty of the British countryside in Sarah Eberle’s RHS CFS garden. — *Ranunculus acris* (meadow buttercup)

In between worlds

Set on an imagined edgelands, Sarah’s garden blurs the boundaries between the built and natural worlds. At its centre lies a powerful sculptural figure representing Gaia, or Mother Nature, carved from the trunk of a fallen tree. One hand reaches towards a shallow pool, while willow branches form flowing hair that becomes part of a dry-stone wall winding through the landscape.

The effect is both mythical and grounded – a reminder that even damaged landscapes can continue to support life, renewal and connection.

1 Leafy garden entrance surrounded by naturalistic planting inspired by the British countryside.

1 Rustic stone hardscaping surrounded by ornamental grasses and planting at The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden, RHS CFS.

1 Meandering garden path bordered by flowering shrubs and naturalistic greenery at Sarah Eberle show garden RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

1 Structural tree planting rising above a richly layered border in Sarah Eberle’s RHS CFS showcase garden.

Inspired by the ordinary

Rather than relying on showy floral displays, Sarah’s planting palette celebrates the textures and rhythms of native British and Irish species.

Buttercups, hawthorn, hazel and other plants often overlooked or dismissed as weeds are woven through the scheme, creating a layered, naturalistic landscape rich in habitat value. Colour appears sparingly, allowing foliage, seedheads and form to take centre stage.

Adding another layer to the story are naturalised garden plants imagined to have arrived through years of illegal dumping of waste. Here, neglect is transformed into abundance, reflecting the resilience often found in these edge landscapes.

1 Flowing meadow grasses and seasonal flowers in The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

1 Dry stone wall surrounded by pollinator-friendly planting designed by Sarah Eberle

Sending a message

The garden highlights a growing concern for rural land on the fringes of towns and cities – some of the most contested landscapes in the country and often the first to be lost to development.

Yet these spaces are also where many people encounter nature most frequently. Whether walking a dog, cycling to work or taking a shortcut home, they provide accessible connections to wildlife and open space close to where people live.

Through On the Edge, CPRE hopes to encourage a renewed appreciation for these everyday landscapes and the role they play in supporting both biodiversity and wellbeing.

1 Large stone boulder integrated into wildlife-friendly planting within The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden.

1 Circular water element surrounded by woodland-inspired planting in The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden.

Beyond the show

Like many Chelsea gardens, On the Edge was conceived with a future beyond the showground.

Following Chelsea, the garden will be relocated to Park Hill in Sheffield as part of a regenerative community project. The move feels particularly fitting: Sheffield was home to CPRE’s first branch and remains closely connected to the organisation’s history.

There, the garden’s central message – that nature can thrive when given space and care – will continue to evolve long after the Show has packed up.

1 Greek Earth Goddess Gaia sculpture nestled within naturalistic planting designed by Sarah Eberle for RHS CFS.

1 Natural stone seating integrated into layered planting at The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden, RHS CFS.

Plant palette

Key plants

Echium candicans (pride of Madeira)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (button bush)
Rosa banksiae lutescens (climbing yellow rose)
Melica uniflora f. Alba (wood melick)
Ranunculus acris (meadow buttercup)

Trees & shrubs

Acer campestre (field maple)
Acer monspessulanum (Montpelier maple)
Betula pendula (silver birch)
Carpinus betulus (common hornbeam)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (button bush)
Corylus avellana (hazel)
Cornus sanguinea (common dogwood)
Crataegus monogyna (common hawthorn)
Hedera arborescens (tree ivy)

Climbers & roses

Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’
Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ (tea rose)
Rosa canina
Rosa pimpinellifolia
Rosa serica subsp. Omeiensis f. pteracantha

Perennials/main planting

Ajuga reptans ‘Alba’ (white bugle)
Angelica archangelica
Anthriscus sylvestris (cow parsley)
Carex morrowii ‘Irish Green’
Daucus carota (wild carrot)
Digitalis spp. (foxglove)
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
Geranium spp.
Geum rivale
Iris spp.
Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’
Muehlenbeckia complexa ‘Big Leaf’
Papaver somniferum (opium poppy)
Polygonatum ‘Giganteum’ (Solomon’s seal)
Primula bulleyana
Ranunculus spp.
Sedum spp.
Silene dioica

Full planting list here

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After being showcased at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, this garden will be relocated to a regenerated housing development in urban Sheffield, where the legacy of early campaigners will live on as a dynamic and thriving place with nature at its heart.

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Close-up of vibrant purple flower spikes attracting pollinators in this naturalistic RHS CFS garden. — *Echium candicans* (pride of Madeira)

1 Pathway leading through abundant wildlife-friendly planting in The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden.

1 Dappled sunlight filtering through planting in Sarah Eberle’s award-winning RHS CFS garden design.

1 Colourful seasonal planting combining grasses and wildflowers in a naturalistic show garden setting.

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Sarah Eberle is an internationally acclaimed landscape designer renowned for her naturalistic, innovative “fusion style” gardens. A multiple award-winning designer worldwide, she has received numerous RHS Gold Medals and Best in Show accolades for her exhibition gardens, alongside prestigious honours for her private client work. Recognised in 2022 as one of the landscape industry’s three most influential figures, Sarah creates distinctive, nature-led landscapes that unite artistic vision with a deep understanding of place and client aspirations.

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