10 sublime photographs from the 2021 RHS Photographic Competition

Some truly breathtaking images were among the best photographs in the 2021 RHS Photographic Competition.

Eve Napton's 'Sunflower haven'. RHS Photographic Competition 2021.
Eve Napton's 'Sunflower haven'. RHS Photographic Competition 2021.
(Image credit: Eve Napton)

Dreamlike flowers, a dragonfly with 'invisible' wings and a startlingly geometric overheard view of a garden were among the winners in the 2021 RHS Photographic Competition.The overall winner was Oliver Dixon for his image of the flower garden at Loseley Park, Surrey, taken with a drone. It's an image which really captures the mix of Man and Nature which goes in to a great garden.

A gardener pictured amongst the stunning flower garden, full of forget-me-nots, wallflowers, euphorbia, tulips and other spring flowers at Loseley Park Gardens in Guildford, Surrey, photographed by drone. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Oliver Dixon
(Image credit: Oliver Dixon)

Our picture editor, Lucy Ford, particularly loved another image: Molly Hollman's ‘sculptural’ love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), taken in her garden in Canterbury, Kent. It was the winning photograph in the Plants category.

Nigella. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Molly Hollman
(Image credit: Molly Hollman)

You can see several more of our favourites below, while there is a full list of winners and runners-up in all categories at the RHS website. The site also has details of how to enter the 2022 competition.


Crystal wings. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Serhii Miroshnyk
(Image credit: Serhii Miroshnyk)

Great tree. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Sergei Koliaskin
(Image credit: Sergei Koliaskin)

Sunset over a lupins field. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. © Prabu Mohan
(Image credit: Prabu Mohan)

Rhubarb. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Suvi Ruotsi
(Image credit: Suvi Ruotsi)

Jack Sedgwick won the young photographer prize with 'Fantasy flowers'. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Jack Sedgwick
(Image credit: Jack Sedgwick)

A deep border around the dovecote in the walled Round Garden is full of grasses and late season perennials including Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm', Salvia 'Amistad', Aster × frikartii 'Mönch', Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' and hedychiums at Llanover Gardens, Monmouthshire in September. ©Carole Drake
(Image credit: Carole Drake 2017)

Wildlife Disco Lights. RHS Photographic Competition 2021. ©Hasan Baglar
(Image credit: Hasan Baglar)

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(Image credit: Joe James / South Downs National Park)

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Toby Keel

Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.