Two Fellows of the Landscape Institute Recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours 2026

The King's Birthday Honours 2026 recognised the outstanding contribution of two Fellows of the Landscape Institute, with Sarah Eberle FLI FSGLD and Dr Juliet Sargeant FLI FSGLD both appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to horticulture.

Although their careers have followed very different paths, both have made significant contributions to the way people experience gardens, landscapes and nature. Their appointments recognise not only individual achievement, but also the growing importance of horticulture, landscape and environmental stewardship in creating healthier, more sustainable communities.

Sarah Eberle MBE FLI FSGLD

When Sarah Eberle was appointed MBE in the King's Birthday Honours 2026, it recognised far more than a remarkable collection of awards. The honour crowned a career spanning more than fifty years of contribution to horticulture, garden design and landscape architecture.
Born and raised on Dartmoor in Devon, Sarah's passion for plants and the natural world began at an early age. She went on to study Landscape Architecture at Thames Polytechnic, now the University of Greenwich, qualifying in 1980. Her love of horticulture, combined with her landscape architectural training, became a defining feature of her career, enabling her to unite planting, ecology, design and human experience throughout her work.

Following her early professional training, Sarah spent eight years as Design Director at Hillier Landscapes, where she developed a reputation for combining strong landscape design with exceptional planting knowledge. She subsequently established herself as one of Britain's most respected designers, working across private estates, commercial landscapes, public spaces and internationally acclaimed show gardens.

Sarah is perhaps best known for her extraordinary contribution to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Over several decades she has achieved a record number of Gold Medals and won in every category at Chelsea. Among her most celebrated gardens are 600 Days (2007), The Garden of Inspiration (2017), The Resilience Garden (2019), The Psalm 23 Garden (2021) and CPRE: On the Edge (2026), which won both a Gold Medal and RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year.

Recognition followed from across the profession. In 2016 she received the RHS Associate of Honour for services to horticulture. In 2021 she was elected a Fellow of the Landscape Institute in recognition of her outstanding contribution to landscape architecture and environmental design. In 2022 she received the Society of Garden Designers' Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising both her professional achievements and her generosity in supporting future generations of designers.

Reflecting on being awarded an MBE, Sarah said:

"I feel deeply honoured and quietly humbled to have been awarded this MBE. Horticulture, at its heart, is a lifelong conversation with the landscape, one that is shaped not by any single person, but by the many hands, minds, and generous spirits who contribute along the way.  Having worked for over 50 years to protect and restore nature, I have been fortunate to work with extraordinary people who share a belief in the power of plants and places to connect us, restore us, and tell stories over time. This recognition feels very much shared with them and with the landscapes themselves, which always teach us far more than we can ever impose.  It also highlights the need to conserve the environment for future generations, recognising that everyone has a role to play in preventing climate change and biodiversity loss.  I take this as encouragement to continue, observing closely, working thoughtfully, and helping to create gardens that feel both rooted and resonant for those who experience them."

Those words encapsulate many of the qualities that have defined Sarah's career: a deep understanding of landscape, an exceptional knowledge of plants, a commitment to environmental stewardship and a belief that gardens can enrich both people and place.

Dr Juliet Sargeant MBE FLI FSGLD

Like Sarah, Dr Juliet Sargeant was appointed MBE for services to horticulture. Her route into the profession, however, has been markedly different. Juliet originally trained and worked as a medical doctor before retraining in garden design. Her background in medicine, science and psychology has informed a distinctive design philosophy centred on the relationship between people, nature, health and wellbeing. She has often spoken about the importance of beautiful natural surroundings in supporting healthy lives and helping people connect with the landscape around them.

Over the past three decades, Juliet has established herself as an award-winning designer, educator, broadcaster and advocate for horticulture. Her breakthrough project came in 2016 when she designed The Modern Slavery Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Chelsea's first social campaign garden, it was awarded a Gold Medal and won the People's Choice Award, bringing national attention to both the issue it addressed and Juliet's work as a designer.



Alongside her design practice, Juliet has made a significant contribution to education and professional leadership. She has taught garden design for more than 30 years and has consistently championed the development of future generations of designers. In 2020 she was elected a Fellow of the Landscape Institute in recognition of her contribution to the profession. She has also served as Chair of the Society of Garden Designers and is a Fellow of the Society, championing professional standards, education and access to the profession.

Juliet has also made a significant contribution to professional education and outreach. She supported the launch of the Landscape Institute's #chooselandscape campaign in 2018, helping to raise awareness of landscape architecture as a career and encouraging a new generation of people to enter the profession. Juliet is also well known through her media work, including appearances on BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Inside Out, BBC Radio Dig-It and coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

In announcing her MBE, she reflected on the importance of mentoring, role models and encouraging people from all backgrounds to enter horticulture and design.

"Horticulture is a generous industry, with a heart for sharing and I'm delighted to see a new generation of professional designers and gardeners, from all walks of life, taking increasingly prominent positions,"

Her comments reflect a career dedicated not only to design excellence, but also to education, professional development and broadening access to the profession.

A Profession Making a Difference

While Sarah Eberle and Juliet Sargeant have followed very different professional journeys, both careers demonstrate the broad reach of horticulture and landscape. One began through horticulture and landscape architecture, the other through medicine and garden design. Both have used their expertise to improve places, influence professional practice and inspire others.

The honours also recognised the wider contribution of individuals working across horticulture and the environment. Alongside Sarah Eberle and Dr Juliet Sargeant, honours were awarded to Matthew Philip Lindsey-Clark of the Royal Horticultural Society and John Paul Rochford of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. Collectively, these awards reflect the growing recognition of the role that horticulture, landscape, environmental stewardship and nature play in improving the quality of life of communities across the United Kingdom.

Their appointments as MBEs are a fitting recognition of the important contribution that horticulture, garden design and landscape architecture continue to make to society, and of the role that Fellows of the Landscape Institute play in shaping healthier, more sustainable and more beautiful environments for future generations.