Did you know that recent RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medallist, Ollie Pike, has a special connection to Sheffield General Cemetery Trust?
Back in 2023, Sheffield General Cemetery became the home of one of Ollie’s award-winning show gardens following its appearance at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. The garden was commissioned and paid for by the Bible Society, designed by Ollie and kindly donated to Sheffield General Cemetery.
The garden in situ at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
The garden was donated to the Cemetery at a crucial time, helping to transform an area that had become neglected and damaged during restoration work around the Catacombs.
“Receiving the garden was an amazing and very welcome donation,” said the Trust’s Landscape Conservation Manager, Sally Puddifoot. “We were looking for a solution for the area when Ollie approached us, and it became an incredible opportunity.”
Before the garden arrived from Tatton Park, the Trust’s volunteers spent weeks preparing the site. The landscape team weeded the area, installed new timber edging for the flowerbeds and enriched the soil with homemade compost to ensure the planting could thrive.
“With so many plants arriving all at once, knowing they would need to go into the ground quickly was quite daunting,” Sally said. “All the preparation really paid off.”
Ollie also enlisted support from students at the University of Sheffield Department of Landscape Architecture, who joined Sheffield General Cemetery Trust volunteers for the planting day.
One of the biggest challenges came after the show itself – transporting the garden from Tatton Park to Sheffield.
Loading a van with over 1,000 plants at Tatton Park
“We only just managed to fit everything into two large vans and three cars,” Sally recalled.
Three years later, the garden has become a much-loved feature within the Cemetery. Carefully maintained by the Trust’s Friday landscape volunteer team, the planting has matured beautifully and continues to be enjoyed by visitors throughout the seasons.
The garden today – a tranquil space for all to enjoy
“Ollie’s skill as a garden designer really shows,” Sally added. “The plants are now well established and the garden still looks beautiful. We are absolutely delighted that Ollie has won Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, and are really proud that we were able to be part of his journey.”