Austin Design Works at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
We are thrilled to announce that Rachael Austin, co-founder of Austin Design Works and an award-winning garden designer, has won the competition to design the Society of Garden Designers’ (SGD) trade stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025!
This incredible opportunity allows us to showcase not only our passion for garden design but also the values we hold as a certified B Corporation. At Austin Design Works, we believe in turning dreams into reality, a process that lies at the heart of this stand’s design.
A Journey Through Garden Design
The design concept takes visitors on a theatrical journey through the stages of garden design, blending fantasy and reality in a captivating and innovative way. Inspired by high-fashion window displays, theatrical storytelling, and the fantastical imagery of the current Wicked film, the stand brings the creative process to life in three distinct layers:
Fantasy: The stand opens with a dreamy, stage-like set framed by white cut-out trees, hand-drawn to evoke a whimsical world inspired by the garden-themed nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary." It’s a playful and nostalgic scene designed to capture the imagination of visitors young and old.
Design: In the middle, the focus shifts to the technical craft of garden creation. Annotated construction elevations, pasted onto a ply wall, reveal the precision and creativity involved in transforming dreams into practical designs. This area also includes niches displaying work from SGD members and a central bench for conversations and interaction with visitors.
Reality: At the rear, the design culminates in a breathtaking vision of a completed garden. A stunning wooden arch, filled with roses and festoon lights, frames a backlit screen depicting a vibrant garden view. This section reflects the tangible, beautiful outcomes that garden designers strive to create.
Accessibility and Inclusion
As a certified B Corporation, we are committed to sustainability, inclusivity, and creating spaces that everyone can enjoy. Accessibility is a key part of the design, with features such as ramps to accommodate all visitors and enhanced audio descriptions for those with hearing or vision impairments.
We’ve also ensured the stand celebrates diversity, highlighting the people and communities behind the gardens we design. By showcasing the diversity of our clients, designers, and collaborators—including underrepresented groups such as ethnic minorities, neurodiverse individuals, and LGBTQIA+ people—we aim to inspire a broader audience and attract the next generation of garden designers.
Looking Ahead to RHS Chelsea 2025
RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle of garden design, and we are honoured to bring this vision to life on such a prestigious stage. This is more than just a stand—it’s a celebration of creativity, craftsmanship, and the connections that gardens foster.
We cannot wait to share this journey with you in May 2025. Stay tuned for updates as the design progresses and follow us as we prepare to bring this exciting concept to one of the world’s most iconic flower shows.
If you’re planning to attend RHS Chelsea 2025, be sure to visit the SGD trade stand to experience the story of garden design like never before.
For more updates, keep an eye on this blog or follow us on social media.
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Let us know what you think of our design and vision—we’d love to hear from you!
