A local garden designer is set to make her RHS Chelsea Flower Show debut this May with a garden inspired by her recent ADHD diagnosis – and designed in collaboration with the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity.
Katy Terry, 53, of Good Grounding Garden Design near Haslemere, will unveil The ADHD Foundation Garden, a space designed to celebrate neurodiversity and reflect the beauty of thinking differently.
After being diagnosed with ADHD in 2023, Katy began working with the Foundation to better understand her condition. Supported by sponsorship from Project Giving Back, she created a garden that offers a sense of pause and escapism for neurodivergent visitors through immersive, layered planting and thoughtful design.
The garden includes biodiverse planting schemes sourced from Surrey-based nursery Form Plants, and features a striking reflection pool by Sasha Sykes and suspended wire-mesh umbrella sculptures by David Begbie – a nod to the Foundation’s umbrella project and symbol of inclusion. Umbellifer plants also echo the umbrella theme throughout the space.
Katy’s journey began in the art world, working for Bonhams and later in digital media in Australia, where she fell in love with southern hemisphere horticulture. After retraining in garden design, she returned to Surrey and founded her design studio in 2003.
Speaking ahead of the show, she said: “After nearly 20 years of attending Chelsea, it’s a dream to be exhibiting. My own neurodiverse journey has just begun, but this garden celebrates the rich tapestry of both plant diversity and human individuality. In doing so, it mirrors the splendid complexity of different human minds, which should be celebrated and marvelled at in the same way that every plant is unique.”
The ADHD Foundation is the UK’s leading neurodiversity charity, promoting understanding and inclusion for the one in five people who are neurodiverse.