by Holly Chapman | 29 Sep 25 | From the Mag, Garden Design
Landscape architect and garden designer Nilufer Danis picked up a Silver-gilt Medal for her garden at RHS Hampton Court Garden Palace Festival in July, Three Graces of Galicia. Danis is next in the hot seat for a round of quick fire questions in our Little Interviews series.
Nilufer Danis
Director at Nilufer Danis Studio
RHS People’s Choice Award winner at RHS Hampton Court Garden Palace Festival
If you could work anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I am very happy working in England as London always feels like home, but if I could work anywhere, I think it would be somewhere that blends nature and city life in inspiring ways — maybe Singapore, with its incredible vertical gardens.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Get experience in a variety of practices early in your career, not just one or two — it gives you a broader view of the industry. Also, consider a master’s degree in business or learn some business skills before starting your own practice — it will save you a lot of headaches later.
What would the title of your biography be?
‘A Life of Challenges and Triumphs.’
Who would play you in a film?
I’d say Nazanin Boniadi — to capture my journey from Turkey to London and building a career in landscape architecture.
One thing that would make the industry better?
Greater collaboration between designers, clients, and contractors would make the industry better. When everyone communicates openly and honestly from the start, projects run more smoothly, designs are realised as intended, and the final spaces are more sustainable and impactful. Designers and contractors should have a clear understanding of contracts, their duties, and roles. Finally, some contractors also need to trust and respect designers more, as design is not their specialty.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I’m inspired by the natural world and evocative art — how colours, textures, and forms come together — and by designers who blend creativity, artistry, and technical skill to create beautiful, sustainable landscapes.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Summer Wine by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. Every time I listen to it, it makes me so happy.
All time favourite film?
My all-time favourite film is Stealing Beauty by Bernardo Bertolucci. It’s a very artistic film, with stunning scenery, an amazing soundtrack featuring songs by Portishead, and remarkable performances by Liv Tyler and Jeremy Irons.
What is your favourite RHS garden this year?
Gosh! That’s a really tough question. As you know, I have a garden, Three Graces of Galicia, at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival this year. However, if I had to pick one in my style — contemporary, modern, and sleek — it would be A Garden of Two Tales by Daniel March at the same festival. It was incredibly innovative, yet achievable for anyone, and I was truly impressed by it.
Read Little Interviews in Pro Landscaper’s September issue.
by Holly Chapman | 07 Aug 25 | From the Mag, Garden Design, Long Reads, Sustainability
Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews explore why their multiple award-winning The Subaru Cocoon garden scored so highly at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival back in July.
How are you both feeling after designing the first garden to pick up a Gold medal, Best Show Garden, Best Construction for a Show Garden, the RHS Environmental Innovation Award and the Tudor Rose Award for the Subaru Cocoon?
We are still feeling hugely elated and still in a reasonable amount of shock. We had no idea of what we would achieve having never been close to the process. You have your own ideas and the judges may have very different ideas. Before they gave out the awards, we were both weirdly calm. Not because we had assumed that we’d got gold, but more that when we looked at the garden, we knew this is what we meant to achieve. When we accepted the award, we dedicated our medal to our contractor, Big Fish Landscaping.
We want to thank the people who provide the trees and who grow the plants. It’s them who also do a serious amount of work, but yet it’s the designer that everyone says is brilliant. We wanted everyone else to recognise that the garden only looks the way it does because of the team that’s behind it. That has been really important to us because we don’t like stealing other people’s thunder. There’s a huge amount of people who have put in a serious amount of work and I don’t like them being written out of history.
RHS / Sarah Cuttle
What do you think went well with the garden and how did it resonate with the judges?
We are the biggest critic of our garden. So when we are designing something or we are planting something, we are highly critical of every step and stage. I think the judges really loved our high level of attention. We grew ferns at angles spinning upwards because we knew that we’d have cracks that they needed to go into. These things are really important to us because if we can’t believe in the garden ourselves, how can we sell that to the judging panel? However, at times it might have been confusing for some of the public because it was so realistic. They couldn’t believe it wasn’t there before.
What is The Tudor Rose Award and what did it mean to receive this?
It’s handed out to gardens that achieve a very high level of excellence and a very high score. We would have been happy with a gold medal. This is a bonus because we have no formal education in garden design and we were also really surprised that the judges noted that our planting was to a really high standard with an attention to detail. We made quite bold moves with how we planted things where other designers might have been more cautious.
Why was it important to bring this garden to RHS Hampton Court?
The temperate rainforest is so beautiful and people really resonate with the idea of there being something to preserve because while it is so easy to just look at the Amazon, we have so much here that we need to preserve. Having those sorts of messages underpin the entire garden really speaks to what shows should be about. It’s our opportunity to share and if we
If we don’t do things like that, then I think we would struggle to really be part of the show garden world because it’s a bit bonkers to make something beautiful for a week and then take it down. These messages are really what allows us to do this, because of the impact they make.
The Subaru Cocoon. RHS / Neil Hepworth
What was your RHS Hampton Court highlight? Aside from winning four awards!
The highlight for me are the people that you meet along the way. Before the show starts, there’s all these other garden designers and contractors and everyone’s all working away.
But what’s quite nice is that people help each other like you’re a small community. We’ve now built up this circle of friends and personable relationships that we didn’t have before the show, so that’s really special. We’ve met people I could imagine coming round for dinner!
How important was sustainability in the garden’s design?
The K bricks are made of 95% construction materials and every cycle pigments and that I think is not a known product as yet. So having a showcase for those materials is really important and secondly how you just take the humble break and make it.
What has this new experience meant for you?
It’s a bit crazy for us to submit a garden to Chelsea, get in, then get a Gold and then get Best in Show. So the kind of the trajectory has been a bit mental. It’s so abnormal. That’s why we’re so surprised. But I think we really do push a lot into these things. We try to think of every angle and corner of a design. But, we’re not the ones judging the garden. We can only do our best. It’s up to the judges to decide whether it’s good or bad.
Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews are the directors of Mike McMahon Studio, a RIBA Chartered architecture studio based in London.
The pair can also be found in Pro Landscaper’s August 2025 issue.
by Holly Chapman | 15 Jul 25 | Garden Design, News
Revealed at RHS Hampton Court Garden Palace Festival during the first week of July, the 2025 Henchman Topiary Awards were revealed.
Chris Reeve
For its second year, the awards were launched to recognise professionals and home gardeners in the art of topiary, founded by garden ladder specialist Henchman.
Judged across four main categories, the awards were open to European entries for the first time.
The winner of the UK professional category was Chris Reeve, who actually received second place in last year’s competition.
This year, Reeve returned with a giant work boot sculpture, which forms part of a playful trail or topiary creations he began back in 2003.
The UK home gardener first place prize was given to Paul Everden with a topiary garden he has nurtured for over 35 years, featuring high hedges and gravel patterns.
European winner of the professional category was given to Cédric Bronnimann for his Renaissance-style garden featuring 56 architectural yew shapes.
Paul Everden
First place in the home gardener category for Europe was then given to François Vandangeon for his boxwood and yew topiary that depicts a sailing boat.
Clare Lenaghan-Balmer, head of marketing at Henchman says the awards are “a celebration of creativity, skill and personality in every leaf and branch,” adding:
“This year’s entries captured the true artistry behind topiary, from storybook sculptures and abstract designs to masterfully maintained classics.”
Judges included the return of Andy Bourke ‘The Hedge Barber’, and Michael Buck, head of horticulture at Creepers Nursery. They were joined by new faces Petra Hoyer Miller, editor of The Dirt News, and Patrick Salembier, president of EBTS France and runner up in last year’s home gardener category.
by Holly Chapman | 01 Jul 25 | Garden Design, News
Designed by Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews, The Subaru Cocoon achieved a triple win at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025, as well as a Gold medal.
Collecting all of the top awards, the garden wins Best Show Garden, Best Construction for a Show Garden and the RHS Environmental Innovation Award.
McMahon took to his social media on how the couple were feeling after the clean sweep saying:
“We are absolutely delighted to have received a gold medal today for our garden at Hampton Court Garden Festival.”
The garden highlights the importance of British rainforests, while just 1% remains when it once used to cover 20% of the UK’s landscape.
Supplied by Provender Nurseries, the trees reflect a multi-layered structure as seen in British rainforests, accompanied by plants grown from Kelways. Built by Big Fish Landscapes, the garden has been sponsored by Subaru.
RHS / Neil Hepworth
Liz Nicholson, chair of the judging panel describes the garden as a “transportational and convincing space,” adding:
“The judges were struck by the perfectly executed complexity of the innovative brickwork made of 95% recycled construction waste.”
Due to the garden’s high score, it has also been awarded the coveted Tudor Rose award, which isn’t given out every year.
RHS Hampton Court runs 1 – 6 July at Hampton Court Palace, Surrey.
by Holly Chapman | 01 Jul 25 | Garden Design, News
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025 has given out five Gold medals, four Silver-gilt medals, eight Silver and one Bronze across all categories.
As the sun shines over Hampton Court this week, the gold medals are as follows:
Show Gardens
The Subaru Cocoon
Scooping up three awards and a Gold medal, the garden was designed by Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews. Built by Big Fish Landscapes, not only did the garden win Best Show Garden, but it was also awarded Best Construction Award and Environmental Innovation Award.
RHS / Neil Hepworth
The Alan Partridge Sound Bath
Designed by Joe and Laura Carey, the garden has been devised by TV character Alan Partridge. Built by Landesigns, the design showcases the famous name in sound wave form.
RHS / Lee Charlton Photography
Pocket Planting
Teucer Wilson: Green the Gap Garden
Also awarded Best City Pocket Planting, this garden is designed as a sanctuary for pollinators. Designed by Laura Strand and Sam Stark-Kemp, it highlights the need for green spaces within cities. It was built by Daniel Norman.
RHS / Tim Sandall
Sunlight Shining Through
Set in a coastal community in Hove, the garden has been designed by Zhechen Ren, Xiya Xu, Tongheng Liang and Minjie Yang. Aiming to create a climate-resilient space, it highlights the impact of climate change on ecosystems.
RHS / Tim Sandall
Gardens of Curiosity
A Garden of Two Tales
The only one in its category to be awarded a Gold medal, the garden also won Best Garden of Curiosity. Designed by Daniel March, the garden intends to be an inviting space used for reflection. Featuring a water feature, its contractors include DH Studios and L&Co Exteriors.
RHS / Sarah Cuttle
Silver-gilt medal winners include Hot Pocket, Life on the Verge and Welcoming Wildlife Pocket Plantings. Gardens of Curiosity A Woodland Edge, designed by Nicolas Navarro, was also awarded a silver-gilt medal, as well as Best Construction Award for its category.
by Holly Chapman | 02 Jun 25 | Garden Design, Nature & Biodiversity, News
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and RSPB partnership will champion swifts at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025 taking place on 1 – 6 July.
Brought to life by landscape architect and garden designer Lilly Gomm and horticulturist Coralie Thomas, the RSPB and RHS Swift Garden will showcase the migratory journey of swifts.
A threatened species in the UK, swifts can fly two million miles within its lifetime.
The garden aims to raise awareness of the species’ decline while highlighting their lengthy journeys and the importance of planting for biodiversity.
Gomm, a Pro Landscaper 30 Under 30: The Next Generation award winner comments:
“By showcasing habitats rich in biodiversity and the small changes we can all make, I hope visitors will feel inspired to take action for wildlife in their own gardens.”
There will be structural representations of their nesting sites featured in the garden, such as swift bricks, that can be introduced into buildings to help swifts thrive.
