Hospice gets Gold-winning garden from Chelsea Flower Show

Part of a gold winning exhibit from the Chelsea Flower Show, inspired by a young woman who died of ovarian cancer, has a new home in Jersey.

Elements of the Lady Garden Foundation's 'Silent No More' garden have been installed at Jersey Hospice Care's Clarkson House.

It was created to raise awareness of gynaecological cancers - inspired by Jersey resident Emily Plane, who died of ovarian cancer at the age of 28.

Three years ago, Emily's mum Penny took her daughter out of the Royal Marsden hospital, where she was having treatment, to see the Chelsea Flower Show.

She was transfixed by one of the exhibits, and instantly messaged the Lady Garden Foundation  - a gynaecological cancer charity that she had been involved with - and said "You should do a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show!".

That became a reality this year, and Lady Garden Foundation 'Silent No More' was a main avenue exhibit last month.

Designed by Darren Hawkes and built by Landscape Associates, it won a prestigious gold award from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Penny says the message behind the garden is very important:

"Emily went to her GP in London eight times and was told she had IBS.

"Had we known about Lady Garden Foundation before she was diagnosed, had we been on their website and looked at the list of symptoms, we would have been empowered to ask for a CA125, which is the blood test, and we might not be here now.

"The five gynaecological cancers are the silent killers, and we want to let people know that there are five, and what the symptoms are, and empower them to go to their GP and get listened to."

Penny says, from the start, the Lady Garden Foundation was determined that parts of the garden would be relocated to Jersey to honour Emily's idea.

The garden took inspiration from Basque artist Eduardo Chillida, with five sculptures - each representing one of the five gynaecological cancers.

 The 'Silent no more' garden at the 2026 Chelsea Flower Show.

Planting included soft greys, pinks and blues, including Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna pink’ and Cistus creticus.

Penny says it provides a sense of peace and calm to people at the Hospice, and their families and visitors.

"It is different from the rest of the Hospice planting.  Hopefully, we will have some signage up to explain that it is to raise awareness of the gynae cancers."