For the first time in the show's history, a work of art from the national collection will be installed at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Dame Barbara Hepworth's Bicentric Form (1949) sits at the heart of Tom Stuart-Smith's Tate Britain Garden — a sculpture that has never before left the national collection for a public exhibition of this kind. The garden is a preview of the forthcoming Clore Garden at Tate Britain, made possible by Dame Vivien Duffield and the Clore Duffield Foundation, and due to open on London's Millbank in autumn 2026.

Inspired by East Asian woodland floors and resilient, drought-tolerant species, the planting reflects Tate's sustainability commitments through long-lasting, biodiverse plant choices. A gently curving path — made from garden stone reclaimed from the existing Tate Britain Garden — leads to a circular seating area crafted from low-carbon concrete made from the same materials. A tranquil water feature, based on microscopic images of fungal structures, flows through a path of bronze dishes with illuminated rills, drawing on the Japanese concept of kintsugi — the art of repairing broken things with gold — as a metaphor for the restorative power of art and nature together.

The garden's ambition is broad: to present a new vision for how art, nature and community can come together, and to demonstrate the leading role museums can play in creating accessible public green spaces where contemplation, relaxation and creativity coexist.