Sparsholt College have continued their RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal-winning run with the news of Silver-Gilt awarded to the team.

This exciting accolade is Sparsholt College’s seventh Silver-Gilt medal adding to the collection of ten Gold medals and three Bronze medals, alongside seven ‘Best in Category’ awards.

The news was announced after a busy Press Day where celebrities, renowned horticulturalists, and Royalty themselves were able to have an exclusive view of the gardens. Famous faces visiting the Sparsholt College stand in the grand pavilion included Dame Mary Berry, Dara Ó Briain, Patrick Fairweather, and Alan and Jacqueline Postill.

Sparsholt College’s 2025 entry ‘The Ugly Bug Ball’, in collaboration with The Royal Entomological Society, aims to show visitors some of the fascinating beauty that lies in the miniature world of insects, and how we can all encourage often overlooked but highly beneficial insects into our home gardens and green spaces.

The 2025 garden is designed by Sparsholt’s multiple-medal-winning-team including several full-time and part-time mature horticulture learners. The exhibit, that is staged at GPB018, inside the Great Pavilion, explores the various plants and habitats that encourage and support beneficial insects in different horticultural settings, many of which are not fully appreciated by gardeners.

The design and concept takes inspiration from the Royal Entomological Society’s book ‘RES Insects: Discover the Science and Secrets Behind the World of Insects’. Written by a team of leading entomologists from around the world, including Dr Claire Cresswell – PHD, MSc, BSc (Hons), ‘Wildlife Ecology and Conservation’ and ‘Agriculture’ Lecturer at University Centre Sparsholt, the book is a fascinating deep-dive into the world of insects in their endlessly varied and beautiful forms.

The garden also hosts Hillier’s Philadelphus PETITE PERFUME PINK (‘P1’) which has been awarded the prestigious accolade of RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2025. It is one of four RHS Plant of the Year shortlisted entries which can be found in the garden including Hillier’s Rhapiolepsis indica ‘White Cloud’ along with Thompson and Morgan’s Hemorocallis SEE YOU TOMORROW® (‘Huhe01’) and Rhododendron molle supsp. japonicum PINK STAR (‘Mapo 2’).

Lucy Lewis, Horticulture Lecturer at Sparsholt College and designer of ‘The Ugly Bug Ball’, said: “We are really proud of our result – The team have all worked so hard and have fully embraced this year’s theme, researching and learning about beneficial insects such as moths, springtails and earwigs. We’re delighted to be sharing our garden with visitors at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 and it’s been great to see visitors learning how to protect and encourage insects into their green spaces and gardens!”

Julie Milburn, Sparsholt College Group Principal and CEO commented: “We are extremely proud of this year’s Sparsholt College RHS Chelsea Flower Show team. The students involved have worked tirelessly to help create such an impressive and educational garden. We would like to congratulate everyone for their hard work and thank the academic team for their dedication and commitment to excellence which has seen the outstanding achievement of a seventh Silver-Gilt.

The Ugly Bug Ball garden design consists of four areas which flow seamlessly together, surrounding a small house crowned with a modern and biodiverse wildflower roof. The latest insect tracking technology including a Lepisense sensor from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has also been integrated. All the areas are essential in supporting a diverse range of insects:

  • The Shady / Damp Area which includes a wildlife pond and log habitats.
  • A Woodland Edge Area, home to a log store complete with a biodiverse roof and modern moth monitoring tools.
  • A Hot / Dry Area containing seating spaces which have been designed with various insect friendly techniques to enhance their habitat.
  • And finally, a Wildflower and Footpath Area developed using recycled paving, interplanted with a diverse selection of wildflowers.

Simon Ward, CEO of The Royal Entomological Society, said: “Healthy gardens and green spaces rely on a network of invertebrates – most of them insects – to provide food for birds and small mammals, to process waste materials and turn them back into enriched soil and to manage the ecosystem by eating larvae and other invertebrates. Ants, earwigs, aphids, wasps, springtails – without them, the world simply wouldn’t work and some of our greatest human innovations wouldn’t have been possible.”

In 2025, Sparsholt College is celebrating its 125th academic year, a period that sees the College striving to be at the forefront of innovation, continually enhancing its technology, facilities, and teaching methods to provide an exceptional and forward-thinking educational experience that prepares students for an ever-evolving world. The RHS Chelsea exhibit continues a long tradition of sharing knowledge and expertise with as many people as possible.