Chelsea Gold Medal designers unveil new Master Garden for 2026 Greater Bay Area Flower Show

Peter Chmiel and Chin Chen of Grant Associates return to Shenzhen as Master Garden designers with a 170sqm immersive garden exploring mythology, ecology and the enduring influence of British Arts and Crafts design.

Chelsea Gold Medal designers Peter Chmiel and Chin Chen from landscape architects Grant Associates will unveil a new Master Garden at the 2026 Greater Bay Area (GBA) Flower Show in Shenzhen, China (27 March – 6 April 2026). The theme flower is the Iris.

Named Rainbow Garden – The Messenger`s Path, the 170 sqm garden draws inspiration from the mythology of Iris – the rainbow goddess and messenger between realms – to create a spatial and cultural journey between water and woodland, craft and ecology, Britain and China.

Commissioned as one of the show’s invited Master Gardens, the design forms part of one of South China’s most significant annual horticultural events, held at the Shenzhen Garden and Flower Expo Park. The GBA Flower Show is recognised for its international designers, experimental planting, and focus on sustainable innovation.

A journey across realms

The garden unfolds as a sequence of three connected landscapes: a tranquil ‘Blue Heaven’ water garden, a transitional realm defined by a sculptural rainbow walkway, and an ‘Earthly Woodland’ inspired by British Arts and Crafts traditions.

At its centre is a sweeping walkway integrated with a series of water channels and arcing structural elements, creating a physical and symbolic bridge between sky and earth. Within the garden , three pause spaces – Faith, Wisdom and Valour – provide moments of reflection embedded within planting and crafted structure.

Iris: colour, culture and climate resilience

The iris is both narrative anchor and ecological driver.

In Chinese culture, the iris symbolises hope, renewal and positive energy. Ecologically, its extensive root systems help absorb nutrients, cleanse water and stabilise soils, while its nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators. The planting strategy celebrates the species’ adaptability — from wetland conditions to drought-tolerant varieties — demonstrating climate-responsive planting communities.

A gradient of blues transitions gradually into richer woodland tones, reinforcing the conceptual shift from heaven to earth while maintaining strong ecological function.

Arts and Crafts influence

The garden’s earthly realm draws explicitly on the British Arts and Crafts movement and the philosophy of William Morris, whose belief in nature as the source of beauty informs both structure and planting composition.

Climbing and rambling roses are trained along a crafted boundary wall, blurring architecture and planting. The deliberate pairing of iris and rose represents the meeting of wild nature and cultivated art — a central principle of British garden tradition.

Together, these references position the garden as both cultural exchange and contemporary reinterpretation.

A continuing international dialogue

Chmiel and Chen have previously achieved international recognition for their show gardens, including a Gold Medal and the coveted “Best Show Garden” at Chelsea Flower Show in 2021. Their continued presence in Shenzhen reflects a growing dialogue between British garden heritage and rapidly evolving Asian horticultural culture.

Peter Chmiel said:

“This garden is about connection — between cultures, between ecological systems, and between craft and nature. The iris gave us a powerful narrative device, but also a genuinely resilient planting strategy. We wanted to create something immersive and poetic, but also grounded in ecological performance. For us, the rainbow is not just colour — it’s transition, adaptability and shared meaning.”

Rainbow Garden – The Messenger`s Path will be open to the public from 27 March to 6 April 2026 at the Greater Bay Area Flower Show in Shenzhen.

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Editors notes

About Grant Associates Grant Associates is a pioneering international landscape architecture practice, whose work reconnects people with nature in insightful, delightful and distinctive ways whilst addressing the global challenges of urbanisation, the climate crisis and biodiversity extinction. Grant Associates’ design process is underpinned by a knowledge of human behaviour, nature and ecological science combined with innovative design technology. The practice combines original thinking, creative collaboration and regenerative design to breathe new life into our cities and landscapes.