Blooming brilliant horticulturist wins at RHS show

A horticulturist from Glossop has won a prestigious award at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show, just 12 months after he gave up a successful career in IT to pursue his dream of designing gardens.

Dan Steel spent more than 10 years working as a cyber security specialist, where he suffered from stress and burnout, before deciding he wanted to pursue a healthier career. His love of gardening led him to retrain as a horticulturist with the Royal Horticultural Society, where he achieved top marks before being awarded Horticulturalist of the Year 2025 by Myerscough College. 

He launched horticultural design studio Quintessence last year and has now won a Silver-Gilt Medal after creating a long border that he named “Between Chaos & Order”, that was designed to give anyone feeling overwhelmed a sense of calm. 

Dan planned the immersive space with a palette of cool blues, lilacs, silvers and soft golds that are complemented by naturalistic planting, gentle grasses and tactile foliage, complete with a reflective water feature and a stone seat. The design was influenced by the repetitions and symmetry that characterise many Japanese and Far Eastern gardens. It also features rare Japanese orchids cultivated in the traditional fuurikan method, which is a mindful horticultural art form similar to bonsai. 

Unlike many temporary show gardens, Between Chaos & Order has a life beyond the exhibition because, following its success, the entire border will now be relocated to Gamesley Community Centre in Derbyshire and will become a permanent wellbeing garden for the local community. 

The project was supported by Homes Reimagined, which designs and delivers home adaptations that are both beautiful and functional, creating accessible and future-proof living environments. 

The inaugural RHS Sandringham Flower Show was held over five days in the grounds of the royal family-owned Norfolk estate. Both King Charles III and Queen Camilla were there to greet visitors and meet exhibitors. 

Dan said: “Winning this award, at my first RHS flower show, is a dream come true and something I never imagined would happen. Working in cyber security was stressful and hectic. After work, my garden became the place where I could slow down, think clearly and enjoy my passion for plants and flowers. That ultimately led me to retrain as a horticulturist, and I’ve never looked back. 

“I launched Quintessence with the belief that gardens are not ornaments, but living systems that homeowners can easily participate in rather than standing apart from them. Getting to know the client, their relationship with nature, and how they use their space is central to my design process. My goal is to create a unique and perfect space so people can enjoy refuge and sanctuary in their garden. 

“I’m currently working with clients in Derbyshire and the North West who were once keen gardeners but no longer have the time or ability to spend hours maintaining their gardens. Instead, they want to transform them into accessible spaces that are easier to look after. I’m also increasingly being asked to deliver mindful floristry workshops to charities and businesses that combine art therapy, mindfulness and ikebana, which is the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging.” 

Dan added: “When I created Between Chaos & Order, I decided against trying to impress with a grand spectacle. Instead, the garden is intentionally quiet and encourages visitors to slow down and take a breath. I selected the plants, flowers, materials and spatial composition to reduce visual noise and it was all about producing a calming atmosphere, which clearly resonated with the judges. 

“Creating a sustainable garden that could be reused was another key objective, so it features peat-free and low-water planting, locally sourced plants where possible and reclaimed and reusable hard materials, meaning it can continue delivering social value long after the show closes. It’s exciting that it will now become a permanent feature at Gamesley Community Centre and I can’t wait to unveil it next month.” 

For further information about Dan, Quintessence, and its services visit https://www.quintessence.fyi