Scottish Garden Design Competition opens for applications

The Scottish Garden Design Competition is now open for applications, ahead of the annual Scone Palace Garden which will take place 28th to 30th May,2027 and is now in its sixth year as Scotland’s National Garden Show.

The competition celebrates the best in Scottish garden design and landscaping, with two categories: Small Space Gardens and Showcase Gardens. Both categories are judged by a panel of expert horticultural and garden design professionals, while visitors to the Garden Fair also can choose their favourite garden through the People’s Choice Award.

Small Space Gardens

The Small Space Gardens category challenges budding amateur designers, hobbyists, and students to create inspiring gardens on a small scale.

Ten finalists will compete for the title of Best Small Space Garden, as well as the People’s Choice Award, which is voted for by visitors to Scone Palace Garden Fair.

The theme for this year’s competition is ‘Joy.’ The theme is deliberately open to interpretation, offering designers endless opportunities for creativity and personal expression. Designers are invited to interpret the theme in their own way, creating a garden that reflects, represents, or evokes what joy means to them.

Brian Cunningham said, “The Small Space Gardens are incredibly unique. Every year we receive very high-quality submissions and the creativity is fantastic. I cannot wait to see this year’s finalist gardens.”

Showcase Gardens – A New Approach to Show Garden Design

The Scottish Garden Design Competition is redefining the concept of the traditional show garden through its Showcase Gardens category – the only UK garden design competition to judge gardens over the course of an entire year.

Unlike traditional garden shows, where designs are assessed during a short exhibition period, Showcase Gardens are installed at Scone Palace and remain in the Walled Garden for twelve months. Judges assess each garden as it establishes, matures, and evolves through the seasons, providing a rare opportunity to evaluate long-term design thinking rather than simply a garden’s peak presentation.

The extended judging period challenges designers to consider sustainability, planting longevity, seasonal interest, and practical maintenance – qualities that are increasingly important in contemporary horticulture and landscape design.

Visitors to Scone Palace can enjoy the three finalist Showcase Gardens throughout the year, observing how each designer’s vision translates into a real-world garden and performs as the seasons change. For designers, the category offers sustained public exposure and professional recognition beyond the constraints of a conventional garden show.

By prioritising duration and seasonal assessment, the Showcase Gardens category represents a significant departure from the traditional model of temporary show gardens and places Scotland at the forefront of innovative garden design competition formats.

Prestigious Judging Panel

The competition is judged by a prestigious panel of experienced garden designers, horticulturists, and RHS judges, including Paul Hervey-Brookes, Lesley Watson, Dougal Philip, Lewis Normand and Mario M. Milligan-Nagy.

Paul Hervey-Brookes is one of Britain’s most internationally decorated garden designers, having created gardens at some of the world’s most prestigious horticultural events, including a Carte Verte garden at the International Garden Festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire. An RHS judge, Paul has also mentored young designers at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and taught at the London College of Garden Design.

Lesley Watson is co-owner of New Hopetoun Gardens and a senior show garden judge with the Royal Horticultural Society. A garden designer and former presenter on The Beechgrove Garden, Lesley has judged the Scottish Garden Design Competition at Scone Palace Garden Fair since its launch in 2021.

Dougal Philip co-owns New Hopetoun Gardens and is a senior show garden judge with the Royal Horticultural Society, where he also served as a Council Member for ten years. A garden designer dedicated to promoting plants that thrive in Eastern Scotland, Dougal has judged the Scottish Garden Design Competition since it began in 2021.

Lewis Normand is a lifelong horticulturist and garden designer with a background in plant production and lecturing. He continues to share his expertise through talks to garden clubs and societies across the country and has been a judge for the Scottish Garden Design Competition since 2022.

Mario M. Milligan-Nagy is the founder of award-winning Garradh Landscape & Design. An experienced landscaper, Mario has contributed to show garden projects in the past and made his judging debut at the Scottish Garden Design Competition in 2025.

William, Viscount Stormont, Scone Palace Owner, and Co-Founder of the Garden Fair said: “We are delighted to offer professional gardeners and landscapers a springboard for displaying their skills and highlighting their creative work, while making that work accessible to the public.

“The entrants last year were of an extremely high standard, and we are excited to see this year’s applications. We would encourage anyone thinking about entering to take the opportunity to become a shining star in garden design within Scotland – helping them secure an even brighter future in the horticultural industry.”