In its second year, this unique competition, conceived by ladder specialist Henchman, honours professionals and amateur gardeners in the United Kingdom and Europe who excel in the craft of topiary, illuminating their distinctive artistry.
A combination of creativity, determination, and skill, topiary has evolved over centuries and across cultures, captivating audiences from the grand gardens of Ancient Rome to the expansive English stately homes. While modern topiary has expanded to encompass contemporary cloud pruning and the more playful, whimsical forms, the essence of the craft remains the same—a profound connection with nature, exceptional craftsmanship, patience, and creativity.
This year’s winners, announced at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival last weekend, were selected from four main categories. Among the entries were symmetrical, architectural hedging and traditional knot work, as well as more whimsical creations such as a towering holly elephant, a whimsical boot inspired by a children’s story, and a 36-foot-long yew dragon.
“We’re thrilled to reveal this year’s Henchman Topiary Awards winners – a celebration of creativity, skill and personality in every leaf and branch. This year’s entries captured the true artistry behind topiary, from storybook sculptures and abstract designs to masterfully maintained classics. With the competition growing year on year, and more categories added for 2025, the standard has been incredibly high – making the judges’ decisions tougher than ever,” said Clare Lenaghan-Balmer, Head of Marketing at Henchman.
The Henchman Topiary Competition was judged by: Andy Bourke, the Hedge Barber; Michael Buck, Head of Horticulture at Creepers Nursery; Patrick Salembier, President of EBTS France; and Petra Hoyer Millar, Editor of The Dirt News. A special Henchman’s Choice award was also selected by the Henchman team.
2025 Winners Henchman Topiary Competition
Professional Category UK
Winner: Chris Reeve. Returning after placing second in last year’s competition for a detailed frog, Chris Reeve, a gardener at Helmingham Hall in Suffolk, claimed the top prize in the professional category with a whimsical living sculpture that inspired a children’s book for young families visiting his workplace. His winning entry, a giant work boot, forms part of a playful trail of topiary creations that Reeve initiated in 2003, which also includes a hat and crown. A passionate author as well as a seasoned gardener, Reeve’s topiary inspired him to write a children’s book titled “Dan the Giant and the Lost Woolly Hat,” which features his artwork throughout the narrative and seamlessly integrates storytelling with horticulture.
Second place: Darrell Adams. A horticulturist from Hampshire, Adams secured second place for his exceptional restoration of a formal topiary garden. The garden showcases meticulously clipped hedges that form geometric patterns around a central circular water feature. Taller, sculptural topiary elements complement the design. Over the course of a decade, Adams transformed the neglected garden into a testament to traditional craftsmanship and horticultural excellence.
Highly commended: Grant Orchard and Jordan Kilby , were highly commended for their outstanding entries. Orchard’s entry features a renowned topiary garden with playful forms and sculpted hedges. The garden comprises large, undulating hedges, bird-shaped topiaries, and sculpted grass mounds that evoke a sense of movement. The judges were particularly impressed by Kirby’s adept use of box and yew to create a freehand topiary, shaped instinctively without a predefined design.
Home Gardener Category UK
Winner: Paul Everden. Everden’s Norfolk topiary garden, nurtured for over 35 years, is centred around a 17th-century farmhouse. It features high hedges, pleached walkways, and an intricate three-level knot garden laid out with precise visual diagonals. With 500 carefully planted stems, gravel patterns, and a central fountain, Everden’s remarkable topiary garden is clipped to an exacting 5mm tolerance, showcasing remarkable dedication and skill.
Second place: Angela Hawkins. Peterborough-based Hawkins took second place with her beloved holly elephant “Mungo,” which she patiently trained and sculpted over the last 25 years. Named after an elephant-shaped hill in Spain, Mungo towers as high as the neighbouring bungalow. Only recently, Hawkins has passed on clipping duties as he grew too large to manage alone.
Henchman Choice Award: Kim Palmer for “George,” an extraordinary 36-foot-long yew dragon. Started in 2009, Palmer envisioned the dragon as a place to one day read stories to a grandchild—a dream recently fulfilled. George is trimmed twice a year with lightweight shears, and Palmer is currently constructing castellated battlements and a tower around a nearby pond to complete the scene.
Professional Category Europe
Winner: Cédric Bronnimann. Originating from France, Cédric Bronnimann was awarded the Professional Europe category for his exceptional work at the Château du Grand Jardin in Haute-Marne. The Renaissance-style garden boasts 56 architectural yew shapes, ranging from pyramids to spirals, that are meticulously maintained using traditional hand tools and an unwavering commitment to symmetry and form. This work embodies the enduring legacy of centuries-old French topiary and continues to evolve under Bronnimann’s expert guidance.
Home Gardener Category Europe
Winner: François Vandaneon. Vandaneon’s imaginative boxwood and yew topiary was the recipient of the Home Gardener Category award in Europe. His creation depicts Jeanne de Belleville’s boat sailing from a wall, accompanied by Taxus baccata soldiers charging towards defenders positioned behind sculpted battlements. Based at Château de Villeneuve in France, Vandaneon seamlessly blends creativity with traditional craftsmanship, managing these towering three-meter-high sculptures that necessitate meticulous and, at times, daring maintenance.
Enduring topiary
Credit to Henchman for initiating and organising this unique competition. The concept for the awards emerged from the stories shared by Henchman clients about their intricate garden creations, which were only heard but never seen.
What initially may have been a marketing initiative for the ladder manufacturer has since transformed into a showcase for the creative art of topiary in the United Kingdom and Europe. More significantly perhaps, it has established a community of skilled gardeners whom not only embrace the art of sculpting living forms, but continue to enchant with their botanical masterpieces – ever reigniting an interest in topiary.
“We’re proud to recognise the outstanding talent shaping gardens across the UK and Europe, and hope these winning designs inspire others to pick up the shears and give topiary a go,” added Lenaghan-Balmer.
