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RHS Judging: Demystified

From how judges make their decisions to what happens during show week, explore the inner workings of the RHS Shows Judging panel and find out what it takes to win those highly regarded medals

Shows judging – a quick video guide

How does the RHS Show Judging process work?

Curious about the mysterious world of RHS Show Judging? Let Charlotte Harris, a seasoned RHS Show judge and award-winning garden designer, guide you through the fascinating process.

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Step-by-step guide of judging at RHS Shows

What is behind the medal?

The RHS medal has long been considered a hallmark in horticultural excellence, providing educational and inspirational value for visitors, the public and the horticultural industry.

Our judging process strives to support designers, growers and contractors to achieve the highest accolades in horticulture, all while championing the essential role of gardening.

 Who, how and what does it take to award an RHS medal?

Hampton awards
Medal-winner Zoe Claymore at RHS Hampton Court

Judging gardens
RHS Judges take in the gardens during show week

Who does the judging?

Our judging panels are carefully curated for each show to ensure a broad range of expertise is applied to the judging of every exhibit displayed. Each judge is handpicked by the RHS based on their experience and knowledge in fields such as horticulture, garden design, landscape architecture and journalism. While independent of the RHS, all judges undergo robust training on how to judge using the RHS criteria and how to provide constructive feedback to our exhibitors.

Meet the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Judges

Judging panel roles

Moderators:

  • Provide consistency and impartiality by individually overviewing and appraising all exhibits throughout judging

Judging Chairs:

  • Lead the judging panel in discussions on each exhibit
  • Provide feedback to exhibitors after results are announced

Assessors (garden judging only):

  • Led by the Assessing Chair, assess the gardens the day before judging to provide a recommended award for the panel to discuss

RHS Secretary:

  • Manages route and timing of judging for designated panel
  • Takes note of discussions and records judging results
  • Accompanies Chair during feedback

Panel Judge:

  • Judges the exhibits with strict use of the RHS criteria
  • Attends moderation to discuss exhibits judged and provide additional comment as required

What and where we judge

What do we judge?

Each category has its own criteria and panel. Across our shows, we judge:

  • Gardens 
  • Floral exhibits
  • Floristry
  • Houseplants
  • Discovery
  • Community Allotments
  • Borders and Pocket Planting (smaller gardens)

Judging dahlias
RHS Judge checking dahlias for assessment

“RHS judging exists to celebrate the very best in garden design, landscaping and planting. Through the judging process we strive to support exhibitors to achieve the highest accolades in horticulture, all while providing a hallmark of excellence and inspiring visitors to engage with gardening.”

Eleanor Hollingworth, RHS Shows Deputy Judging Manager

Where does the judging take place?

The Judging team conduct judging at around 10 shows across the season:

RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show

RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show

RHS Orchid Show

RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show

RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show

RHS Orchid Show

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Shows judging in more detail

Sarah Price Chelsea Garden
The Nurture Landscapes Garden by designer Sarah Price

Show Gardens

Across nine sections, the RHS Show Gardens are graded Excellent (4), Very Good (3), Good (2), Satisfactory (1) and Poor (0) using the RHS Garden Criteria. The highest amount of points scored automatically wins the Best in Show. But, in the event of a tie, the judges must conduct a second, blind vote. The garden with the highest amount of points scored for construction, will where appropriate, be awarded with the Best Construction award.

Judging criteria for Show Gardens
  1. Realisation of the client’s brief: clarity and delivery
  2. Ambition: atmosphere, originality, impact
  3. Overall impression: attention to detail, polish and dressing.
  4. Design, layout and plan of garden: dimension, scale, unity
  5. Design, 3D and spatial composition: mass, void, volume, balance
  6. Construction: quality of build and finish
  7. Planting design: visual impact, composition, colour, texture, form
  8. Planting associations: horticultural accuracy, relevance, cultural requirements
  9. ​Planting implementation: quality, plant health, density of planting

What is a Client’s Brief, and why it is important?

The Client’s Brief, written by each designer before building their show garden, outlines what the designer intends to create. It encourages designers to demonstrate their ability to execute a garden that not only translates the brief but is also fit for purpose. This is a real-life practice for designers who regularly build briefs based on their client’s needs.
 
In the context of Show Gardens, the client is imagined by the designer, so they are free to determine the style, design and context of the garden. 

Client garden sketch
Client sketch of The Addleshaw Trust Freedom to Flourish Garden

Visitor in front of alliums
Visitor enjoying being among the floral exhibits

Floral exhibits

Across three sections, the RHS floral exhibits in the Floral Marquee are graded Excellent (4), Very Good (3), Good (2), Satisfactory (1) and Poor (0) using the RHS Floral Criteria.

Judging criteria for Floral exhibits
  1. Plants: Horticultural relevance, range, identification, health, quality, colour and texture
  2. Overall impression: Finish, design, creativity, impact
  3. Endeavour: Level of difficulty, originality, planning and sourcing, curation

Explore how to exhibit at a show

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