Accessible garden raises awareness of Parkinson’s disease at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026
Award-winning garden designer and broadcaster Arit Anderson has unveiled a personal and thought-provoking Show Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 this week with Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey, sponsored by grant-giving charity Project Giving Back.
The main avenue Show Garden marks the first time one of Arit’s designs has been judged at RHS Chelsea. The garden is a special and highly emotional project for her, as her sister lives with Parkinson’s and her late uncle had the condition.
The garden seeks to raise awareness of Parkinson’s — a complex neurological condition with more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to fatigue and anxiety — while celebrating the restorative power of gardening and thoughtfully designed green space.
A garden shaped by the Parkinson’s community
The design emerged from a creative Parkinson’s UK workshop, which brought together gardeners living with Parkinson’s, their loved ones and carers. From these conversations, a set of guiding principles were developed, including generous access, sensory richness, 24-hour interest, and a sense of sanctuary.
The Parkinson’s community wanted a garden to be both beautiful and accessible. Mindful of this, Arit has integrated functionality with artistry throughout the garden and the resulting design unfolds in three distinct narratives, connected through the language of plants.
Garden journey
Garden journeyA wide, accessible Yorkstone path, allowing for Parkinson’s gait, weaves through the garden’s contrasting borders, unified by a sinuous ‘hand-rill’ that functions as both a water feature and tactile handrail. The sound and movement of water provide sensory cues that assist with freezing, a sudden temporary inability to move – a symptom of Parkinson’s.
A colourful plant palette aims to uplift and energise, with a vibrant, sunny border of jewel-toned perennials and annuals. Many of the plants were requested by workshop participants, such as Paeonia ‘Cytherea’, tulips and roses.
In contrast, a wraparound border of woodland-inspired plants promotes rest and calmness. An abstract sculpture provides a focal point and support, while the more muted palette speaks to the visual disturbances and spatial awareness that can become blurred with Parkinson’s.
As night falls, the garden becomes a refuge for people and wildlife alike. Visitors can sit and rest in a secluded space beneath a sculptural, wooden arch. Subtle lighting minimises the impact on night-time wildlife, whilst highlighting paler plants more visible after dusk, such as Digitalis purpurea albiflora and Hesperis matronalis albiflora. The garden is designed to provide 24-hour interest, maximising the time spent in nature for those experiencing insomnia, a common Parkinson’s symptom.
Harkness charity rose
A special, low scent Parkinson’s Resilience rose, is being launched at the Show by Harkness Roses in partnership with Parkinson’s UK.
Named by people living with the condition, ‘Parkinson’s Resilience’ will feature within the richly planted borders in the garden. Whereas roses are most often noted for their strength of scent, this stunning new variety was sensitively selected by Arit Anderson and Harkness for its very low scent to highlight anosmia – loss of smell – another common but often overlooked early symptom of Parkinson’s.
This repeat-flowering shrub rose bears blooms in soft shades of salmon pink with hints of creamy amber, set around a deep ruby-red eye and bright yellow stamens. Highly versatile and easy to grow and care for, the rose thrives in a range of soil conditions, performing equally well in large containers on a patio, something which can help those with Parkinson’s to garden more easily.
The ‘Parkinson’s Resilience’ Rose is available now in a four-litre pot, with £5 from every sale being donated to Parkinson’s UK to support their vital research. Funds raised will contribute to the charity’s ongoing exploration into the causes of Parkinson’s, as well as developing new treatments.
One active research project funded by the charity is aimed at developing a test which can detect Parkinson’s via a person’s sense of smell. The project, called Predict-PD and based at Queen Mary University of London, could produce a simple, low-cost test kit to help identify the earliest signs of Parkinson’s, before symptoms appear.
Lasting legacy
After the Show, the ambition is for Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for every Parkinson’s Journey to be relocated to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, a Parkinson’s Centre of Excellence, ensuring that the Parkinson’s community can continue to enjoy and benefit from its lasting legacy.
Speaking about the garden Arit said: “This is a very special and personal project. Parkinson’s affects my family like many others, and despite the growing number of diagnoses each year, it remains widely misunderstood.
“I hope this garden deepens understanding — and demonstrates the power of gardens and gardening to comfort, restore and empower.
“After presenting and critiquing other gardens on BBC Chelsea coverage, this time I’ll be the one under the judges’ gaze!
“It’s quite daunting, but I’m excited to take on the challenge and to create something meaningful that will make a lasting difference to those affected by Parkinson’s.”
Caroline Rassell, Chief Executive at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We’re so excited to be at the RHS Chelsea Flower show with this very special garden. It’s been 2.5 years since Arit first met with our community gardeners, who all enjoy the physical and mental benefits that gardening offers people with Parkinson’s. We now all get to see their incredible combined vision come to life.
“Arit has wonderfully woven plants and features into the garden that highlight some of the many symptoms that people with Parkinson’s experience, such as issues with movement, sleep problems and loss of smell.
“These features and plants give us an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and how Parkinson’s UK is leading the way in research by funding work to find and develop new treatments, and a cure for the condition.”
