Arit Anderson Wins Chelsea Flower Show People’s Choice Award
arit anderson won the People’s Choice Award for Best Show Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 for Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey. Mary Berry presented the award, and Anderson was moved to tears when she accepted it.
The garden also received a Silver-gilt medal from the judges. It was created with Parkinson’s UK and was inspired by a workshop for gardeners living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones.
Parkinson’s UK garden design
Anderson said the garden was personal because her sister is living with Parkinson’s, and she wanted to raise awareness of the condition. She said, “This is a personal garden for me as my sister is living with Parkinson’s, so I really wanted to raise awareness of this little understood condition,” and later added, “That's so kind,” as Berry presented the award.
The garden was built as a sensory space for people living with Parkinson’s. Its features include accessible pathways, calming water features and restorative planting, along with a wide accessible path weaving through contrasting planting borders.
Accessible features at Chelsea
The design also includes a sculptural hand-rill that works as both a flowing water feature and a tactile handrail. The movement and sound of water provide sensory cues to help with freezing, a common Parkinson’s symptom, while bright jewel-toned perennials and annuals create an energising sunny border.
Woodland-inspired planting was added for calm, and a wooden organically shaped arch gives visitors a place to pause and rest. Gentle lighting highlights night-time plants once night falls.
John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford
After RHS Chelsea, the garden will be permanently relocated to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, described as a UK Parkinson’s Centre of Excellence. Anderson said, “I have to thank my sister and her bravery for letting us share her story, and being able to work with a fantastic charity. And we just want to help people that have got Parkinson's. My little motto has been, I know medals and stuff are important but, not everything that glitters is gold. But this is.”
That permanent move gives the garden a use beyond the show itself, placing the accessible design where people living with Parkinson’s can continue to encounter it at the hospital.
