Studio Stour Wins Gold Medal and People’s Choice Award at Bord Bia Bloom 2026
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Rooted in Resilience Receives Top Honours at Ireland's Premier Garden Show
Studio Stour is delighted to announce that our show garden, Rooted in Resilience, has been awarded both a Gold Medal and the People's Choice Award at Bord Bia Bloom 2026 in Dublin, Ireland.
Created in partnership with Multiple Myeloma Ireland, the garden explored the lived experience of people affected by multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable blood cancer. Through planting, materials, spatial design and symbolism, the garden sought to educate, encourage conversation and create moments of reflection for visitors.
Winning both a Gold Medal from the judging panel and the People's Choice Award from the public made this achievement particularly meaningful, demonstrating that the garden resonated on both a professional and emotional level. Scroll down to read more ......
Here is a download for the Garden Brochure with even more details !
Designing a Garden About Resilience
As a garden designer, my aim was not to create a literal representation of illness, but rather an emotional landscape that reflected the complexity of living with multiple myeloma.
The garden guided visitors through a sequence of contrasting spaces inspired by different stages of the journey. These included moments of uncertainty, support, recovery, self-care and remission. Each space offered opportunities for personal interpretation, allowing visitors to connect with the garden in their own way.
A narrow entrance corridor created a sense of focus and anticipation before opening into more social and restorative areas. A handcrafted timber retreat provided a place for pause and reflection, while the final remission space introduced resilient coastal-inspired planting, a still reflection pool and subtle references to balance and ongoing adaptation.
A Special Connection
The garden also received support from Dearbhla Mescal, a long-standing ambassador for Multiple Myeloma Ireland and mother of Irish actor Paul Mescal. Throughout the project, Dearbhla was a passionate advocate for the garden and its message, helping raise awareness of multiple myeloma and the experiences of those living with the condition.
Sustainable Garden Design at Bloom 2026
Sustainability was embedded throughout the design process.
Materials were selected using circular economy principles wherever possible. Reclaimed timber, reused elements and rented construction materials helped reduce waste while demonstrating how beautiful and meaningful gardens can be created with sustainability in mind.
Many of the feature trees had previously been rescued from storage following earlier projects and still carried subtle signs of stress and recovery. Their inclusion reinforced the garden's themes of resilience, endurance and renewal.
The planting palette combined robust perennials, grasses and shrubs with softer, more delicate species. Plants such as Thalictrum 'Elin', Digitalis lutea, Crambe maritima, Ammophila arenaria and Corylus avellana each played a role in expressing themes of strength, uncertainty, recovery and adaptation.
An Incredible Response from Visitors
One of the most rewarding aspects of Bloom 2026 was seeing the response from visitors.
Throughout the week, countless people shared their own experiences with cancer, treatment and recovery. Many spent extended periods within the garden, while others returned several times during the show.
What surprised me most was the emotional impact the garden had on people. Visitors often sought us out specifically to discuss what the space meant to them. Some shared deeply personal stories, while others simply wanted to say thank you.
Receiving the People's Choice Award reflected these connections and highlighted the power of gardens to communicate complex ideas in a way that words sometimes cannot.
A Collaborative Achievement
Creating a show garden is never the work of one person.
Rooted in Resilience was only possible thanks to the support of Multiple Myeloma Ireland, our volunteers, suppliers, sponsors, contractors and everyone who generously contributed their time, expertise and enthusiasm throughout the project.
The garden became a collective effort built around a shared goal: raising awareness of multiple myeloma while creating a space that offered hope, reflection and connection.
About Studio Stour
Studio Stour is an award-winning garden and landscape design studio based in Suffolk, working throughout Essex, East Anglia and across the UK.
Our work combines thoughtful design, sustainability, biodiversity and strong visual storytelling to create gardens that are deeply connected to people and place.
Winning Gold and the People's Choice Award at Bord Bia Bloom 2026 represents an important milestone for the studio and reinforces our belief that gardens can be beautiful, sustainable and meaningful in equal measure.
If you are looking for an award-winning garden designer in Suffolk, Essex or beyond, we'd love to hear about your project.
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