We are delighted to announce that our charity’s garden has been awarded a Silver Gilt medal at the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The National Autistic Society Garden is raising awareness about autism and masking at the show, which takes place from 21 – 25 May 2024.

Our garden is a collaboration between our charity and co-designers Sophie Parmenter, of Sophie Parmenter Studio, and Dido Milne, Director of CSK Architects. The garden is sponsored by Project Giving Back, a unique grant-making charity that provides funding for gardens for good causes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Caroline Stevens, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won a Silver Gilt Award for the National Autistic Society Garden. Our garden aims to raise awareness of masking, a survival strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic in order to fit in and be accepted by society. We know that this can come at a great cost however, as it involves suppressing natural behaviours and coping mechanisms which can result in mental health difficulties, exhaustion and low self esteem.

"We are so grateful to the amazing team who have worked on our beautiful garden, especially our incredible designers Sophie Parmenter (Sophie Parmenter Studio) and Dido Milne (CSK Architects) and our generous sponsor, Project Giving Back."

Designer Dido Milne said: “This garden has been a collaboration from the outset and we are so grateful to everyone that has worked tirelessly to deliver the garden. We are so grateful to all of the incredible makers and suppliers, all of whom have gone above and beyond, the garden wouldn’t have happened without them.”

Co-designer, Sophie Parmenter said: “We would like to thank Mark Gregory and the team from Landform Consultants for their unwavering support and incredible expertise to bring the garden to life, as well as Humaira Ikram from Studio Ikram and the planting team who wove their horticultural magic. We are also so grateful to our sponsor, Project Giving Back, for their belief in our garden.”

The show garden seeks to represent autistic masking and how autistic people experience this in different parts of their lives. Walls or ‘masks’ of timber and cork create a series of spaces dedicated to different types of social interaction.

There is a large, covered space for family or friends, an intimate corner for a quiet conversation with a partner or for sitting by yourself and a more formal space for colleagues. A mesmerising kinetic sculpture alludes to the mind’s beauty and complexity. These three outer spaces surround the heart of the garden, a sheltered and mossy dell that embodies the space of the inner mind.

There is a large team collaborating on the project, including autistic people and people who have family or friends who are autistic. Autistic people are involved in developing the message and ethos of the project, as well as the creation of the garden itself.

Following RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024, the garden will be relocated to one of our charity’s supported living sites at Catrine Bank alongside the river Ayr in Scotland.

Further information

Read more about the National Autistic Society Garden

Read more about masking

Read more about the plants and materials