At the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, pupils from Sulivan Primary School in London will be working alongside garden designer Harry Holding to create the ‘RHS No Adults Allowed Garden’, in which children can learn, play and explore.

In celebrate of the garden, the RHS Campaign for School Gardening is asking children across the country to design their own mini ‘No Adults Allowed Gardens’ and plant them up in a recycled container. Schools can then enter a photograph of a garden (one entry per school) to be in with the chance of winning £1000 to bring their ideas to life within the school grounds.

The competition is open to any primary school registered to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, which currently supports over 17,000 schools across the UK, reaching a total of 1.7 million school children annually. The Campaign was set up to give children and young people opportunities to grow and connect with nature and learn how to care for plants and the planet.

Gardening and connecting with nature has a wide range of benefits for young people, from getting fresh air and exercise, to learning practical skills and improving overall wellbeing. This competition offers children a chance to learn about growing plants and collaborate with peers to create a completely unique green space.

Alana Cama, RHS Senior Learning Manager, said: “We are so excited to launch the ‘No Adults Allowed Garden’ competition in a year that young people are set to take centre stage at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Gardening brings so many benefits to us all, not least a chance to learn new skills and express creativity. We hope that as many schools as possible will get involved in the project and can’t wait to see the designs come in from far and wide.”

Entries can be submitted until the competition closes at 5pm on 14 June and winners will be announced in the week commencing Monday 24 June. A panel of judges will select 25 winners who will each receive £1,000 in National Gardening Gift Vouchers.