Finalist schemes The Landscaper tipped for success at the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers (SGLD) awards excelled at the event, Gillian Taylor reports.
The People’s Choice award
The only category decided by a public vote was presented to Fi Boyle MSGLD for The Old Quarry Garden. The judges were impressed by the transformation of a steep, previously unusable site into an inspiring, tiered garden. They praised her skilful use of terracing, constructed with stone reclaimed from the site, to form a series of inviting gathering spaces, each with its own distinct character.
Double winner
Double award-winner Barbara Samitier MSGLD of Moss Studio was recognised in both the Planting Design and the best Medium Residential Garden categories for her Dulwich Pollinators project. The judges praised the garden’s simple yet effective layout, its attractive planting and thoughtful arrangement that creates intimate, inviting spaces. They also highlighted the lush plant mix, well-considered seating areas, and overall charm of the garden.
Congratulations to both teams on their success.
To
Lifetime achievement award for Tom Stuart-Smith OBE FSGLD
The SGLD awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award to Tom Stuart‑Smith OBE FSGLD, whose landmark projects include Le Jardin Secret, Marrakech, the Golden Jubilee Garden, Windsor Castle, RHS Garden Bridgewater, the Hepworth Wakefield Garden and his own garden at Serge Hill.
A onine-time RHS Chelsea Gold Medal winner, with three Best in Show awards, Tom is also co-founder of The Serge Hill Project, a not-for-profit initiative exploring the power of nature, gardening and creativity to support health, wellbeing and community.
The award recognises not only his extraordinary body of work, but his enduring influence on the profession and his commitment to using landscape as a force for positive change.
“This award is a great honour,” he said. “I love doing what I do and I still feel as though I have so much ahead of me. I hope that it also means something to the people who have helped me get to this point including, above all, my design team. We are a community, and I feel that this award is for all of us.”
Presenting the award, SGLD chair Andrew Duff MSGLD said the award “recognised a career that has redefined garden and landscape design through extraordinary vision, artistry and lasting influence.
“Over decades, Tom has created gardens of rare beauty and intelligence, blending naturalism and modernity, re‑imagining historic landscapes and transforming both private estates and public spaces.”
Tom’s The Tate Britain Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 will be featured in our March/April edition.