A gold medal and the Best Construction Award at this year’s RHS Badminton Flower Show went to a single garden designed as both a sanctuary and a statement.
Woodland meets modern advocacy
The Nascent Shade Garden, created for Macmillan Cancer Support by designer Elle Arnett in collaboration with Artisan Settings, combines ornamental woodland with contemporary symbolism. Eight birch trees—paper and Chinese red varieties—anchor the space, their trunks interspersed with sculptures and paving inlaid with brass leaf details. The planting palette shifts from cool greens and whites to soft pastels, featuring Digitalis grandiflora, sweet woodruff, hostas, and pink and blue campanula.
The garden differs from most show displays by inviting visitors to walk through rather than observe from the sidelines. Brass leaves embedded in Purbeck stone paving catch the light, and a water bowl offers a quiet ritual: placing a birch token as a gesture of hope. The design drew inspiration from the proverb, “A society grows strong when its people plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”
That idea of legacy connects directly to Macmillan’s work. The garden’s uneven layout at the entrance gradually tightens as visitors move deeper, reflecting the charity’s mission to close gaps in cancer care. “The concept behind the garden is to tell the story of Macmillan Cancer Support’s mission to make cancer care fair and equitable for everybody,” says Elle. “We know that cancer care experiences aren’t fair at the moment and Macmillan Cancer Support are working hard to make them fairer in the future.”
The design also highlights the importance of gifts left in wills. Just as trees planted today provide shade for future generations, such legacies help sustain Macmillan’s support for people living with cancer. After the show, the garden will be relocated to a Bristol hospice to continue serving its purpose.
From concept to construction
Arnett, a first-time show garden designer, earned the Gold medal, while Will Cooke and his team at Artisan Settings took home the Best Construction Award. Their reaction was one of pure joy, described as “over the moon” by the RHS.
The garden’s success stands out in a show where tradition often dominates. While Badminton’s regulars may expect familiar displays, this year’s event also featured a pop star who turned designer and Tom Stuart-Smith’s largest-ever RHS feature. Yet the Nascent Shade Garden carved its own space—not just for its beauty, but for the way it turns horticulture into advocacy.
Visitors can explore the garden until Sunday, July 12. Tickets are available on the RHS website, and details about Macmillan’s work can be found on the charity’s site.
The garden’s distinction lies in how it merges form and function. Most show gardens remain static displays, but this one was built to be experienced. The brass leaves underfoot, the dappled shade of birches, and the quiet act of placing a token all reinforce the message without signs. Design here doesn’t just decorate a cause—it becomes part of how that cause is understood.
Other RHS shows have included gardens tied to social issues, from mental health to climate change. Few, however, have balanced aesthetics and advocacy so effectively. The Nascent Shade Garden avoids preaching; it invites. The result may leave visitors with more than admiration—optimism for the future of cancer care, as Arnett intended.
A single sentence captures its impact: The garden plants hope in more ways than one.
