APL members impress judges at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

1 July 2025

Members of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL), the Horticultural Trades Association’s specialist group for its landscaper and designer members, impressed judges at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival with their immersive gardens and displays.

The Subaru Cocoon show garden – built by APL members, Big Fish Landscapes – was awarded a Gold Medal. It also won Best Show Garden, Best Construction, and the RHS Environmental Innovation Award. Its sustainable ethos presents a modern take on a walled garden, featuring a perforated jali wall, crafted from K-Briq. The pioneering brick is made from recycled building waste with only 5% of the embodied carbon of traditional bricks.

Elsewhere at the show, there are opportunities to look at other award-winning gardens built by APL members, including:

• Three Graces of Galicia Garden, built by Ross Conquest at Conquest Creative Spaces. This Silver Medal-winning design features bold structural elements, such as a pavilion and topiary tree, winding paths, shaded nooks, and serene water features.
• Charleston 250, built by Surrey Hills Landscapes, was awarded a Silver Medal. The garden showcases reclaimed brickwork, antique iron railings, and water features alongside intricate landscaping such as the inclusion of crushed shells in mortar joints and reclaimed brick pathways and pillars.
• Illusion 2050, built by Kitti Kovacs Garden Design. A modern courtyard garden designed to inspire reflection and raise awareness about sustainable design. Awarded a Silver Medal.
• Before the Concrete Sets, by Surrounding Counties Landscaping. This Silver Medal-winning design utilises repurposed materials, including locally sourced aggregate and waste timber, and features a bench constructed from reclaimed English oak, supported on steel joists.

 

Phil Tremayne, General Manager of the APL, said:

“We’re delighted that members of the APL have been recognised for their high-quality, sustainable landscaping at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Huge congratulations to Big Fish Landscapes, who picked up a Gold Medal for their show garden, along with awards for Best Show Garden, Best Construction, and the RHS Environmental Innovation Award.”

In its 30th Anniversary year, the APL also has a stand at the show called ‘What Lies Before, What Lies Beneath’. Designed by Phil Tremayne, built by APL members Bushy Business, and supported by other APL members, it aims to demonstrate the various stages in a garden design and what is involved in a professional build.