RHS Chelsea Flower Show

18 - 22 May 2027

Artisan Gardens 2016

Meningitis Now Futures Garden

Awards

  • Silver-gilt medal winner
  • People’s Choice Artisan Garden
Designed by:
John Everiss
Built by:
Peter Gregory Landscapes, Andrew Loudon and Chilstone
Sponsored by:
Meningitis Now

The Meningitis Now Futures Garden has been inspired by the spirit and energy of families whose lives have been irrevocably changed by meningitis. A centrepiece of the charity’s 30th anniversary, the garden celebrates the courage, determination and positive outlook of young people who have faced up to, and overcome, the consequences of this devastating disease.

A major outbreak of the disease led to the first patient group and then the charity being formed in Stroud, Gloucestershire, so the setting is a Cotswold country garden. A Greek-themed folly forms the centrepiece and represents the charity. It includes a seat inscribed with the charity's motto. A carved stone tableau depicts the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius and his five daughters. To each side of this folly are two walls, one representing the disease and the second the recovery.

Five dramatic sculptures travel across the garden, hitting the first wall and climbing over the next, depicting lives changed, lost and a life different to the one expected. These include sculptures of young people who are training for the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics.