Tom Stuart-Smith wins Lifetime Achievement Award
The Society of Garden + Landscape Designers has awarded Tom Stuart-Smith OBE FSGLD its Lifetime Achievement Award 2026, celebrating more than four decades of exceptional contribution to garden and landscape design.
Presented at the SGLD Awards ceremony in London, the honour recognises a career that has shaped contemporary British garden design and inspired designers worldwide through a distinctive naturalistic planting style and deep sense of place.
Tom Stuart-Smith’s portfolio spans private and public landscapes across the UK and internationally, including Le Jardin Secret in Marrakech, projects at Chatsworth House, RHS Garden Bridgewater, and the Hepworth Wakefield Garden. He is currently working with Tate Britain on the creation of the new Clore Garden at Millbank.
He has also achieved major success at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, designing nine Gold Medal-winning gardens, three of which received Best in Show.
At Serge Hill in Hertfordshire, where he was born and still lives, Tom and his wife Dr Sue Stuart-Smith founded The Serge Hill Project, a not-for-profit initiative promoting health, wellbeing and community through gardening and creativity.
The project includes The Plant Library, an extensive educational resource supporting planting design for professionals, students and schools, reinforcing Tom’s long-standing commitment to learning and knowledge-sharing.
SGLD Chair Andrew Duff MSGLD praised Tom’s vision, artistry and lasting influence, highlighting his ability to blend naturalism with modernity while transforming historic and contemporary landscapes alike.
Accepting the award, Tom Stuart-Smith described the honour as a recognition of the collective effort of his design team and community, reflecting his belief that garden design is both a shared craft and a vital art form.