It’s a substantial achievement, when your tenth RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden is actually to be your last.
For Tom Hoblyn, creator of plant-rich, beautiful show gardens with fascinating back stories, this is exactly where he finds himself. But why is this his last show garden? “To be honest, it’s exhausting,” he says. “My first Chelsea was 2006, and that’s a long time to be doing these shows. I also see so much young talent coming through and it’s time I stepped aside and gave way to them.” This approach is quite normal for those who know Tom.
A collaborator to the core, he gets excited when he talks about craftspeople, nursery owners or younger
people. “I really believe that many younger people (under 30) are feeling a tech overwhelm, so they are going back to craftsmanship and hands-on skills, from carpentry to coppicing.”
Tom’s appreciation for the vernacular stems from a personal connection with the land. “I was supposed to take on the family farm near Liskeard in Cornwall, so I studied agriculture – but I knew that the farm wasn’t on good farming land.”
Instead, a chance encounter with Guy Singh- Watson (of Riverford Farm fame) introduced him to the joys of growing and gardening. A head gardenership in Devon, a horticulture course at Hadlow College, the three-year diploma at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and his path was set.
Stints at Christopher Bradley-Hole’s and then Dan Pearson’s studio meant that by 2001 he was ready to go it alone. Initially based in London, he moved to Suffolk in 2002, to the house he lives in now. “We bought it because it has a crinkle-crankle walled garden and, with two and a half acres, there’s plenty of space.”
Even though annual rainfall is just 560mm (less than Provence), he’s been able to experiment and trial plants that suit winter wet and summer drought. “I love propagation, cuttings and seed sowing. This garden is a laboratory and has been really useful when talking to clients who face similar conditions.” It’s no surprise to learn that in another life, Tom could have been a nurseryman.
The Thomas Hoblyn Garden Studio has been practising for nearly 30 years, comprising Tom and a team of three. “I really like having a team around me, as I like to collaborate and make collective decisions.” Most of his work focuses on old farmhouses and rectories, especially in East Anglia.
His work is all about the plants, but also the relationship with clients. “I have long-lasting relationships with most of my clients, and many become good friends,” he says. In meeting with prospective clients, Tom is looking to see how both sides get on with the other. Whether it’s a contractor, gardener or digger driver, Tom ensures that the team he brings together will work best with each other and the client.
That connection is vital, he believes, to successful work. “I impress upon clients that this is just the beginning of the journey. Their garden will need to be edited, and will encounter failures and constantly evolve.”
At the start of each scheme, Tom takes time to produce a watercolour palette, capturing the essence of the colours in the trees, sky, soil, house and so on – effectively a colour chart for that specific location. Incredibly detailed soil and ecological analyses give further insight. “Once I’ve got this information, plus the watercolour palette, I can then get on and explore the plants and materials needed for the site.”
For someone who has been practising for 30 years, there’s no doubting his longevity. A Fellow of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers (SGLD) and a tutor at the Norfolk School of Gardening, he
is keen to promote the role of mentoring for other garden designers or craftspeople. A familial relocation to Cornwall this year (while retaining the Suffolk studio) will ensure his network continues to grow.
As will his son Harry’s company, Rymer Trees and Hedging. Tom is one of four directors of this plant nursery that grows native trees from seed in peat-growing media (as well as plants for Tom’s Chelsea garden this year). “I love helping on the nursery,” he says. “It’s just down the road, so I run there, offering to do weekend watering duties if needed.” There’s little doubt that Harry’s work chimes perfectly with Tom’s passion for all things plant growing.
This month may see Tom proudly delivering his last show garden, so it seems apt to ask why he started doing them in the first place. “I firmly believe they help validate your work when you talk to clients. Of course, it’s really fun and a massive challenge, but that validation helps you get work.”
Tom Hoblyn: a realist, a plant romantic, a hard worker and collaborator, and one of the country’s leading designers. We may not be seeing him at Chelsea again, but don’t think he’ll have gone quiet – there will be plenty moreof Tom’s work to fall in love with in the coming years.
Find out more about Tom Hoblyn’s work at thomashoblyn.com and for details about his Hospice UK: Garden of Compassion at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
