Chris Beardshaw will design the Prostate Cancer UK Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2027, marking his return to the event after a 2023 appearance.
The garden will address prostate cancer, the most common cancer in the United Kingdom, affecting as many as 1 in 8 men. By turning a public exhibition into a platform for awareness, the design aims to give visitors a tangible sense of the scale of the condition while offering a peaceful environment for reflection.
Design concept and personal motivation
Beardshaw’s involvement is deeply personal; his father received a prostate-cancer diagnosis, giving him direct insight into the disease’s impact on families and communities. This connection fuels his desire to create a space that acknowledges both the emotional weight of the illness and the hope that can arise from shared understanding.
He explained, “I understand the uncertainty and emotional impact the disease can have on individuals and the people around them.” The statement shows his commitment to translating lived experience into environment architecture.
He added that the garden “is about connection,” noting that men often lack a space to express concerns before a diagnosis. By providing a setting where dialogue can happen openly, the garden seeks to break down silence and stigma.
Beardshaw’s team consulted men living with the illness, their families, and specialist nurses from Prostate Cancer UK to shape the design. These conversations informed choices about layout, planting, and seating, ensuring that the final composition reflects real needs and preferences expressed by those directly affected.
A formal framework of pleached trees will be installed, each branch deliberately touching the next to symbolize mutual support. The interlocking branches convey the idea that strength grows when individuals lean on one another, mirroring the network of care that surrounds patients.
Layered planting will echo the care provided by partners, families and friends throughout a prostate-cancer journey. Different heights and textures will create visual depth, suggesting the many layers of assistance that accompany a diagnosis, from medical treatment to emotional encouragement.
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Contrasting foliage forms and varied texture will add richness; the palette includes greens, blues, purples, whites with touches of pink and yellow. The colour choices are intended to evoke calm, resilience, optimism, and the subtle shifts that mark progress in treatment and understanding.
Key features of the garden
At the centre, the Peony Pavilion— a cedar structure—will draw on the peony’s reputation for strength and resilience. The pavilion will serve as a focal point where visitors can pause, contemplate, and engage in conversation under a canopy that suggests both shelter and endurance.
Bespoke furniture and sculptural tree forms will reference the statistic that 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed, rising to 1 in 4 among Black men. By embedding these figures into the physical environment, the garden transforms abstract data into a lived, supportive environment.
Seating and artwork inspired by medical research will turn complex patterns into visual elements throughout the space. Patterns derived from DNA strands, imaging scans, and statistical graphs will be rendered in metal and stone, offering a subtle nod to the scientific effort behind advances in treatment.
For families coping with a diagnosis, the garden offers a quiet place where conversation can happen without stigma, turning abstract statistics into a lived, supportive environment. The layout includes secluded benches and semi-private alcoves that invite honest dialogue while maintaining a sense of privacy.
Support and future plans
Prostate Cancer UK is the largest public funder of prostate-cancer research in the country, aiming for a world where no man dies from the disease. The organisation’s involvement ensures that the garden aligns with broader research goals and public-health messaging.
Charity chief executive Laura Kerby said the show provides a “unique and powerful platform to spark lifesaving conversations” and thanked Project Giving Back for its support. Her comments highlight the strategic partnership between the charity, the exhibition, and corporate sponsors.
After the Chelsea exhibition, the garden will move to Edinburgh as part of a partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. The relocation plan extends the garden’s reach beyond London, allowing audiences in Scotland to experience the same messages of support.
