The Subaru Cocoon garden, showcases the gardens of the future—spaces of healing, ecological awareness, and profound beauty. We are proud that Jewlsy Mathews, a Malayalee designer, is shaping this vision on the world stage alongside her husband.”
A rainforest-inspired garden designed by Malayalee designer Jewlsy Mathews and her husband Mike McMahon has stolen the show at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025, making history by becoming the first garden ever to win five major awards at the prestigious event.
The couple, co-founders of Mike McMahon Studio, received:
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RHS Gold Medal
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Tudor Rose Award (the festival’s highest accolade)
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Best Show Garden
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Best Construction Award
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Environmental Innovation Award
The Tudor Rose Award, only presented in exceptional years, recognised The Subaru Cocoon’s exceptional quality and its contribution to contemporary garden-making, marking a landmark moment for both the RHS and for South Asian designers on the global stage.
A Sensory Sanctuary Inspired by South Indian Traditions
Commissioned by Subaru UK, The Subaru Cocoon re-imagines the walled garden as a sanctuary of transformation and stillness, featuring a sculptural perforated brick wall inspired by South Indian jali architecture filtering views into a lush, immersive interior. The design draws attention to the disappearing temperate rainforests of Britain and Ireland, advocating for the preservation of these fragile ecosystems.
Visitors cross a reflective water threshold, symbolising cleansing and transition into an inner world—a space described by judges as:
“Radical in its stillness, rigorous in its detail, and profoundly moving.”
Leading in Sustainability and Innovation
The garden’s Environmental Innovation Award celebrates its pioneering use of sustainable materials and low-carbon methods. The perforated wall is constructed from Kenoteq’s K-Briq, made of 95% recycled construction waste, while the sculptural table and chairs, designed and built by Mike McMahon Studio, are crafted from Richlite, made from layered recycled paper.
A Garden with Purpose Beyond the Festival
Following the festival, The Subaru Cocoon will be sensitively relocated to Horatio’s Garden to serve as a therapeutic sanctuary for people with spinal injuries, aligning with the couple’s vision of architecture as a tool for healing and community wellbeing.
This is Mike McMahon Studio’s second consecutive RHS Gold Medal, following their celebrated Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. As a husband-and-wife team, Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews continue to shape a new era of design-led, sustainable landscape architecture where material storytelling and ecological care are inseparable.
About the Project
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Garden Title: The Subaru Cocoon
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Designers: Mike McMahon & Jewlsy Mathews – Mike McMahon Studio (husband-and-wife team)
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Sponsor: Subaru UK
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Contractor: Big Fish Landscapes
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Plants: Kelways Plants
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Trees: Provender Nurseries
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Bricks: Kenoteq
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Festival: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025
For more, visit: www.mikemcmahonstudio.com | Subaru UK
Image Credits: Gary Morrisroe
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