In 10 years of taking Yorkshire gardens to Chelsea, we are lucky to have been awarded the People’s Choice award in 7 of those years – 4 times for our smaller artisan gardens and then 3 times out of 4 for our “Show Gardens” – in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
These three show gardens have now been put forward for the prestigious People’s Choice of the Decade award and we’d love to secure the victory for Yorkshire.
Take a look at the three gardens below – showcasing magnificent Yorkshire in three completely different ways. 2016 focused on heritage and the beauty of Yorkshire’s iconic buildings – with a specific nod to York Minster‘s stunning East Window. 2018 took us to the heart of the Yorkshire Dales with a beautiful Wensleydale themed garden, with a cheese makers bothy as the centrepiece. Finally, 2019 saw us showcase Yorkshire’s world class canals and waterways with an awe-inspiring lockgate and lock keeper’s cottage taking centre stage.
We love all three of them and cannot pick a favourite but you can! We’d love it if you could cast a vote for Yorkshire, by clicking on the link below and voting for the garden that means the most to you. Thank you for your support.
VOTE HERE FOR YORKSHIRE IN THE DECADE OF PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS COMPETITION
2016, Gods Own County, Silver Medal
Designed by Matthew Wilson
York Minster’s great East Window inspired the design of our 2016 garden.
The garden highlighted the beauty of the largest single expanse of medieval stained glass in the UK, via planting and landscaping which was designed to reflect the wider Yorkshire landscape as well as the Minster itself.
The planting reflects the shapes and colours of the medieval stained glass, while the furniture of a cathedral – benches, pews and ornamental tombs – were represented by timber seats and blocks of yew and stone.
Stone gargoyles and monoliths were loaned by historic sites across Yorkshire, whilst York Glaziers Trust themselves created our stunning window, with hand blown glass from the supplier used by the Minster.
2018, Welcome to Yorkshire Garden, Gold Medal
Designed by Mark Gregory
The stunning Yorkshire Dales were the inspiration for Welcome to Yorkshire’s 2018 RHS Chelsea show-garden. The sights, smells and tastes of this world renowned national park were brought on display to the capital. The area is famous for its Wensleydale cheese, quintessential buttercup meadows and iconic dry stone walls – all of which were authentically recreated in London to showcase Yorkshire’s beauty to the world.
The walls were crafted from genuine Yorkshire stone on loan from the Bolton Estate which was returned there after the show. There was also a woodland, lush pastures, varied plants and flowers, a cultivated cottage garden, and a tumbling beck with dramatic fast flowing water. Pride of place in the garden will go to a stone bothy which has been converted into a craftsman’s creamery where genuine artisan cheese production took place.
2019, Welcome to Yorkshire, Gold Medal
Designed by Mark Gregory
The highlight of the 2019 Welcome to Yorkshire show garden was an authentically built canal with flowing water and genuine canal lock gates. The Mark Gregory-designed garden also included a towpath and a lock keeper’s lodge with a colourful garden and vegetable patch.
The garden was inspired by Yorkshire’s proud history of industry, manufacturing and innovation but also the county’s stunning natural environment and many green spaces. The canal featured ran next to a perennial meadow, and the planting celebrated the rich diversity of native flora alongside cultivated varieties.
This atmospheric garden evoked the very essence of the county, striking a balance between the industrial and the beautiful, demonstrating that a working lock can also be a place of tranquillity and charm. The aim of the garden was to inspire those who see it, to visit Yorkshire and to experience the county’s beauty first hand.