Cornwall

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-show-gardens">SHOW GARDENS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Doon-Ram-Eden-Project-Garden-RHS-Chelsea-1000x667.jpg" alt="‘The Eden Project Bring Me Sunshine’ garden at RHS Chelsea photo credit Doon Williams" class="wp-image-40723" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Doon-Ram-Eden-Project-Garden-RHS-Chelsea-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Doon-Ram-Eden-Project-Garden-RHS-Chelsea-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Doon-Ram-Eden-Project-Garden-RHS-Chelsea-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Doon-Ram-Eden-Project-Garden-RHS-Chelsea.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The&nbsp;Eden&nbsp;Project&nbsp;Bring Me Sunshine garden, photo credit <a href="https://www.doonwilliams.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Doon Williams</a></figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/eden-project-bodelva-cornwall/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Eden Project</a> celebrates 25 years with their&nbsp;‘The&nbsp;Eden&nbsp;Project&nbsp;Bring Me Sunshine’&nbsp;garden at RHS Chelsea, Silver Gilt medal winner– billed as a vibrant celebration of renewal, nature and the power of young people to shape a brighter future. Inspired by the dramatic coastal landscapes, seaside heritage and spirited communities of Morecambe Bay, the garden offers a first glimpse of&nbsp;Eden&nbsp;Project&nbsp;Morecambe, set to open in 2028.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="666" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/22142829-6839-4BF2-ACE0-8A0C7E7B8A66-666x1000.jpg" alt="‘The Eden Project Bring Me Sunshine’ garden at RHS Chelsea photo credit Doon Williams" class="wp-image-40725" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/22142829-6839-4BF2-ACE0-8A0C7E7B8A66-666x1000.jpg 666w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/22142829-6839-4BF2-ACE0-8A0C7E7B8A66-532x800.jpg 532w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/22142829-6839-4BF2-ACE0-8A0C7E7B8A66-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/22142829-6839-4BF2-ACE0-8A0C7E7B8A66-1022x1536.jpg 1022w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/22142829-6839-4BF2-ACE0-8A0C7E7B8A66.jpg 1170w" sizes="(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Harry Holding, photo credit <a href="https://www.doonwilliams.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Doon Williams</a></figcaption></figure>



Designed by multi-award-winning garden designer Harry Holding and architect Alex Michaelis, the garden was created in collaboration with young adults from Morecambe. It has been made possible thanks to match-funding from grant-making charity Project Giving Back. Soft, coastal-inspired planting evokes a sweeping natural meadow, with pinks and yellows punctuated by vibrant blues. Textural grasses add movement and wildness, while ‘edimentals’, including sea kale, samphire and artichokes, champion productive and sustainable gardening techniques. Practical, planet-friendly ideas are woven throughout &#8211; from rainwater harvesting and biodiversity enrichment to the cultivation of dye and craft plants.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="666" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Barbara-Hepworth-Doon-Williams-666x1000.jpg" alt="Barbara Hepworth Doon Williams Barbara Hepworth’s Bicentric Form 1949, which was The Tate Gallery’s first Hepworth sculpture acquisition in 1950. She carved the beautiful sculpture at Trewyn Studio in St Ives out of limestone." class="wp-image-40747" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Barbara-Hepworth-Doon-Williams-666x1000.jpg 666w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Barbara-Hepworth-Doon-Williams-532x800.jpg 532w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Barbara-Hepworth-Doon-Williams-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Barbara-Hepworth-Doon-Williams-1022x1536.jpg 1022w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Barbara-Hepworth-Doon-Williams.jpg 1170w" sizes="(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Barbara Hepworth’s Bicentric Form 1949, at RHS Chelsea, photo credit <a href="https://www.doonwilliams.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Doon Williams</a></figcaption></figure>



Gold medal winning <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/gardens/2026/tate-britain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Tate Britain Garden</a> marks the first time a work of art from the national collection has been installed at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Sitting at the heart of the garden is Barbara Hepworth’s Bicentric Form 1949, which was The Tate Gallery&#8217;s first Hepworth sculpture acquisition in 1950. She carved the beautiful sculpture at Trewyn Studio in St Ives out of limestone. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/06/barbara-hepworths-sculpture-garden-st-ives-Cornwall-UK-RB-image-May-2023-1000x667.jpg" alt="barbara hepworth garden" class="wp-image-30933" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/06/barbara-hepworths-sculpture-garden-st-ives-Cornwall-UK-RB-image-May-2023-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/06/barbara-hepworths-sculpture-garden-st-ives-Cornwall-UK-RB-image-May-2023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/06/barbara-hepworths-sculpture-garden-st-ives-Cornwall-UK-RB-image-May-2023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/06/barbara-hepworths-sculpture-garden-st-ives-Cornwall-UK-RB-image-May-2023-788x525.jpg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/06/barbara-hepworths-sculpture-garden-st-ives-Cornwall-UK-RB-image-May-2023.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Trewyn Studios are now the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden, above, passing to the care of Tate in 1980 following her death in 1975. The garden, designed by <a href="https://www.tomstuartsmith.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Stuart-Smith</a> offers “a taster of the forthcoming Clore Garden at Tate Britain” which is scheduled for completion in 2027. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="714" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/MENA_-31-1000x714.jpg" alt="Mena Woodwork credit John Hersey" class="wp-image-40738" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/MENA_-31-1000x714.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/MENA_-31-800x571.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/MENA_-31-768x548.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/MENA_-31.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mena Woodwork &#8211; photo credit John Hersey</figcaption></figure>



Cornwall&#8217;s <a href="https://menawoodwork.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mena Woodwork</a> created the furniture for the gold medal winning <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/gardens/2026/childrens-society" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Children’s Society Garden</a>, below, which is designed by <a href="https://www.patrickclarkelandscapes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Patrick Clarke Landscapes</a> as a welcoming space for teenagers to pause, reset and feel at ease, whether simply taking a moment of calm or talking with trusted counsellors.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Patrick-Clarke-Chelsea-Flower-Show-1-1000x750.jpg" alt="The Children’s Society Garden, designed by Patrick Clarke Landscapes at RHS Chelsea 2026" class="wp-image-40739" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Patrick-Clarke-Chelsea-Flower-Show-1-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Patrick-Clarke-Chelsea-Flower-Show-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Patrick-Clarke-Chelsea-Flower-Show-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Patrick-Clarke-Chelsea-Flower-Show-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Children’s Society Garden, designed by Patrick Clarke Landscapes at RHS Chelsea 2026</figcaption></figure>



Cornish garden designer <a href="https://darrenhawkes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Darren Hawkes</a>&#8216; gold medal winning Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ Garden is a multi-layered garden that aims to raise awareness of, and ignite conversation about, the five gynaecological cancers to save lives.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Wild-moors-of-West-penwith-cornwall-RB-image-1000x667.jpg" alt="wild moors of West Cornwall" class="wp-image-40728" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Wild-moors-of-West-penwith-cornwall-RB-image-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Wild-moors-of-West-penwith-cornwall-RB-image-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Wild-moors-of-West-penwith-cornwall-RB-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Wild-moors-of-West-penwith-cornwall-RB-image.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Celebrating the power of peatlands, horticulture and music, silver medal winning <a href="http://marthakrempelgardendesign.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Martha Krempel</a>&#8216;s <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/gardens/2026/the-composer%E2%80%99s-cabin?" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Composer’s Cabin</a> is set in a landscape inspired by the wild moors of West Cornwall. Winning a silver medal, her retreat is designed to reflect what happens when creativity is not imposed upon nature but composed in quiet dialogue with it.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/05/St-Ives-Cornwal-RB-image-1000x667.jpg" alt="St Ives Cornwall" class="wp-image-37128" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/05/St-Ives-Cornwal-RB-image-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/05/St-Ives-Cornwal-RB-image-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/05/St-Ives-Cornwal-RB-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/05/St-Ives-Cornwal-RB-image.jpg 1499w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Winning a bronze medal was Seasalt Painted Garden courtyard, a garden inspired by the mid-century St Ives School artists, reimagining their bold creativity in a contemporary setting, blending bold colour with repurposed filing cabinets as plant containers. Clay pavers were made with sustainably sourced clay by The Leach Pottery, St Ives, where the garden will be repurposed after the show. Designed by <a href="https://www.lynnjamesgardendesign.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lynn James</a>, this garden was sponsored by Cornish brand, Seasalt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-great-pavilion">THE GREAT PAVILION</h2>



<a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/news/2024/inside-the-great-pavilion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Great Pavilion</a> showcases more than 500 exhibitors including growers from Cornwall. Gold medal winning <a href="https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/gallery.cfm?ref=Chelsea-2026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Burncoose Nurseries</a> ‘Over the Garden Hedge’ (GBP017) features an &#8220;impression of a Cornish hedge, which is a beautiful traditional stonework wall providing both clear definition and soft planting opportunities. The Cornish hedge marries two gardens; on one side a temperate rainforest inspired garden, and over the hedge will be drought tolerant coastal planting&#8221;. Other Cornish producers in the Floral Marquee include <a href="http://www.kelnanplants.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kelnan Plants</a> (GPD056), <a href="http://www.kernock.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kernock Park Plants Ltd</a> (GPD052), Little Cornish Glasshouse (<a href="http://www.alfordandsowter.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alford and Sowter</a>) (GPE071), and <a href="https://surrealsucculents.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Surreal Succulents</a> (GPD048).



In the tradestands, don&#8217;t miss <a href="https://jhastings.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeremy Hastings</a>&#8216; handcrafted Cornish slate water features (SR160) and the <a href="https://www.soholighting.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Soho Lighting Co</a>. (RHW293)



PLUS if you want to get your hands on some Cornish goodies, head to EAE522 which is The English Garden Magazine where they have Cornish brands St Eval Candles and Jollys Drinks in the goody bag they have for new subscribers.



The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RHS Chelsea Flower Show</a>&nbsp;runs from 19-23 May at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW3 4SR.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/home/gardening/cornish-gardens-to-inspire-your-own-outside-space/">Cornish gardens to inspire your own outside space</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/home/interiors/best-garden-furniture-uk-outdoor-living-buys/">The ultimate garden glow-up: chic buys to elevate your outdoor space</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/podcasts/best-gardening-podcasts/">Love gardening? 9 podcasts to get your green fingers going</a></li>
</ul>

Sneak peek: Cornwall heads to RHS Chelsea

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