From the Shetlands to Sark, hundreds of people entered stunning images of British wildflowers that reflect the variety, beauty and fragility of the UK’s wildflower habitats to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the National Wildflower Centre (NWC).
Justin Minns won the Professional competition with his atmospheric photograph of swathes of wild garlic in Chalkney Wood, Essex. Damien Walmsley’s stunning image of a poppy field in Kinver, Staffordshire, won the Amateur category, and the Young People’s winner was M. Stanway with their beautiful photograph of Cornish heather. The winner of each category receives a cash prize, and their images are displayed as part of the Wildflower Photographer of the Year Exhibition. The exhibition is open now at the Eden Project in Cornwall, where it will remain on display for visitors to enjoy until February.
The competition was judged by renowned flower and garden photographers Clive Nichols and Molly Holman, and the National Wildflower Centre Team.
Clive Nichols said: “This competition has been an opportunity to enjoy a magnificent showcase of the wildflowers blooming in UK habitats. The winning photos truly encapsulate the beauty, kaleidoscope of colours and diversity of the wildflowers that we’re lucky enough to have growing across our country.”
Launched to mark 25 years of the National Wildflower Centre (NWC), Wildflower Photographer of the Year pays tribute to the 1,600 species of wildflowers native to Britain and Northern Ireland. Over the last quarter of a century, the NWC has worked to reverse the decline of British wildflower habitats since World War II, bringing colour and life to communities around the UK, from the streets of Liverpool to the landscapes of Cornwall.
Juliet Rose, Head of Development at the Eden Project, said: “We’re delighted to crown the winners of our first-ever Wildflower Photographer of the Year competition. Biodiversity is in crisis, and people are less connected with nature than ever. We hope that by marking the NWC’s 25th anniversary with this competition, the vital importance of wildflowers will be brought to the public's attention, while also celebrating their remarkable beauty. Here’s to another 25 years of protecting wildflowers!”
Founded in Knowsley, Liverpool, in 2001, the National Wildflower Centre has championed British wildflowers for 25 years, creating new landscapes for people and pollinators across the UK and beyond. In 2017, the NWC became part of the Eden Project with the support of the Esmée Fairburn Foundation, and it continues to bring wildflowers to people across the UK.
The Wildflower Photography of the Year exhibition, now on display at the Eden Project, features the winning images, highly commended entries, and a selection of the NWC Team’s favourites.
The Eden Project is a charity that connects people with nature. The Wildflower Photographer of the Year exhibition appears alongside another from longtime Eden Project Artist in Residence, John Dyer. Spanning over two decades of creative expeditions, John Dyer’s Spirit of the Harvest paintings feature the rainforests of Costa Rica, the rice terraces of the Philippines and the high Andes of Peru, celebrating three of the world’s most vital crops: rice, potatoes and bananas.
Both exhibitions will run at the Eden Project throughout the winter months to give visitors the opportunity to enjoy creative responses to plant biodiversity, ahead of the the charity’s 25th anniversary year in 2026. From November 22, visitors can also enjoy the Eden Project’s Christmas offering, including unique light displays, a magical Father Christmas experience and a glittering undercover ice rink.
