Celebrating its 25th anniversary, designers at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park will be raising awareness for life altering diseases, women’s rights and gardening on a budget, as show gardens for this year’s event are revealed.

Category is, Show Gardens

Scottish rugby player, Doddie Weir, and his charity for research into Motor Neurone Disease are the inspiration behind designer Pip Probert’s ‘My Name’5 Doddie garden’.

My Name’5 Doddie Garden – Show Garden – Pip Probert and Rory Tompsett, Flower Show Tatton Park 2024 © RHS

In June 2017, the Scot revealed he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease and launched My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in November of the same year.

The garden will incorporate the colours of Weir’s private tartan, sculptures depicting players in a life out and rugby goal posts and a water feature based on the tartan flower brooch used by the charity.

Other gardens include the ‘1804 Garden’ by last year’s Best Show Garden duo, Carolyn Hardern and Jon Jarvis as the pair continue their campaign to support construction workers.

This Garden Isn’t Finished Without You sponsored by The Methodist Church, Show Garden, designed by Ollie Pike, Flower Show Tatton Park 2024 © RHS

This time focusing on how a garden can be designed to mitigate against the risks of melanoma, arguably known as the most dangerous type of skin cancer, caused by excessive sun exposure.

While skills of local artisans and crafts people are being celebrated in ‘The Grant Horticulture Arts & Crafts Garden’ by Callum Bain MacKay.

Inspired by the arts and crafts movement, multi-stemmed trees and soft pastel toned perennials are interspersed with a hand-milled and hand-constructed timber pavilion, and hand-crafted wooden patio furniture and creasing tile sculptures, with materials sourced locally.

The final Show Garden comes from Ollie Pike, with ‘This Garden Isn’t Finished Without You’, sponsored by the Methodist Church, highlighting the church’s support of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Next up, Terrace Gardens

Designer Tom Saunders will be bringing a touch of the Andes to the Peak District with his ‘The Orchid Garden. Inspired by his travels to South America where he saw the flowers growing in their natural ecosystem.

Sophie Godber’s ‘Big Picture Garden’ highlights conscious consumerisms, taking on a repurposed appearance with objects and materials sources from a 19th century farmstead – demonstrating how building a new garden does not need to cost the earth.

While Hilary Newhall’s ‘The Secret Garden: For Us, By Us’ looks to raise awareness of adults living with autism and the challenges they encounter, particularly in employment and being a business owner.

Barbie says, ‘women can be anything they want’, designed by Susan Booth – Long Border Garden – 2024 Flower show tatton park. © RHS

Lastly, the Long Borders

This year will also see the return of the Long Borders, with Susan Booth’s garden, ‘Barbie says, ‘Women can be anything they want.’ (On the shoulders of giants)’, complete with glitter ball.

Other themes touched upon include the Cheshire rail network, LGBT+ rights, the Manchester skyline and an edible family garden.

“From gardens addressing illnesses such as MND to sustainability, arts and crafts, orchids and even Barbie – we’re delighted to showcase the best of cutting-edge design and thought provoking gardens,” says Sarah Poll, RHS head of shows development.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park takes place from 17-21 July. The next time RHS Tatton will be on the site will be in 2027, as part of a roster of changes to the shows schedule announced by the RHS earlier this year.