Chelsea Flower Show 2025
West Dean was proudly represented at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. From student volunteers and alumni to tutors and course leaders, our community made an inspiring mark on the world’s most celebrated garden show.
West Dean’s stand at Chelsea Flower Show
This year’s stand was a group effort across several departments at West Dean. The incredible stage was designed by Garden Design Diploma alumni and now Course Manager, Alana Sims.
Students volunteer in the gardens
Every year our Garden Design students help on the lead up to Chelsea Flower Show. Students had the exciting opportunity to spend the week volunteering on gardens and working with designers and landscapers.
Course Lead worked on two gardens at Chelsea
Humaira, the course leader for our Garden Design Diploma, was involved and achieved Gold Medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 for the Garden of the Future. Humaira’s role in the garden was to help build and advise on the planting.
The second garden Humaira worked on was The Pathway Garden designed by Allon Hoskins and Robert Beaudin. Another important garden highlighting the work the Pathway Charity do to support people out of homelessness. This garden achieved a Silver Gilt medal.
Furniture Making
Emily and Clara, students on the FdA in Furniture, and Ari, a BA graduate in Furniture Making created an ash table and stools for the stand at Chelsea Flower Show. Created in collaboration with FdA Furniture tutor Joe Orchard, and shaped by a creative brief from Garden Design Diploma leads Alana and Humaira.
Alumni:
Isabella Worsley designs stand for Country Life Magazine
Interior Design alumni Isabella transformed the stand into an outdoor drawing room, taking inspiration from Italian loggias and their influence on English architecture.
Jojo Barr of House Nine Design created a space for Project Giving Back
Interior Design alumni, Jojo designed the lounge for Project Giving Back creating a space for people to learn more about their gardens for good causes.
Sonia, Sally & Helier (SSH Scapes) design Balcony Garden ‘Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat’
Inspired by the wilderness of the Scottish Cairngorms landscape, home of Fettercairn distillery, Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat is a balcony garden to ignite the senses and invigorate the soul. Surrounded by wild and verdant planting reminiscent of the Cairngorms landscape, it echoes the grassy heathland, rocky outcrops and mossy glens.
Catherine Gibbon designs Hospital Garden ‘Room to Breathe’ for TSA winning a Gold Medal
With her colleague, Jen, they designed a self-funded container garden, inspired by the healing power of nature. It aims to create a sanctuary within a hospital courtyard — an oasis of calm for parents and caregivers to escape and recharge. A restorative haven for the often-overlooked heroes who tirelessly support their loved ones through difficult times.
study garden design
The Garden Design Diploma course is uniquely tailored and designed to prepare students for a career in the garden design industry.
The course follows the growing year which means initial study and final project work all take place in the colder winter months and practical horticulture and live projects during the spring and summer. The resulting one-year course combines practical hard landscaping and gardening skills, plant science and creative design principles in a part-time format with additional study required outside of class each week.
