Visitors to Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) will once again be able to enjoy a spectacular outdoor photography exhibition when the internationally renowned International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) returns this spring.
Opening on 20 March, the exhibition will showcase a striking collection of award-winning images celebrating plants, gardens, wildlife and landscapes from across the globe, including the Competition 19 main categories; Abstract Views, Beautiful Gardens, The Beauty of Plants, Breathing Spaces, PMC Plants & Planet, Trees, Woods and Forests, Wildflower Landscapes, Wildlife in the Garden and The World of Fungi.
Alongside the international winners, visitors will also be able to see images from this year’s CUBG Special Award – Around the World at Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Created in partnership with IGPOTY, the award invited photographers to capture the remarkable global diversity of plants growing in the Garden’s living collections – revealing how species from many different continents can be found within the Garden’s 40 acres.
“The exhibition presents an outstanding collection of images that highlight the diversity, beauty and significance of plants and landscapes around the world.”
CUBG’s Director, Professor Beverley Glover says: “We are delighted to welcome the return of the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition to the Garden. The exhibition presents an outstanding collection of images that highlight the diversity, beauty and significance of plants and landscapes around the world. The Around the World at Cambridge University Botanic Garden Special Award also reflects the remarkable global scope of the Garden’s living collections, and we are delighted to share these beautiful images with our visitors too.”
The exhibition offers an opportunity to experience world-class nature photography set within the landscape that inspired it, encouraging visitors to slow down, look closely and discover new perspectives on plants and nature.
James McGlinchey, exhibitions manager at IGPOTY, said: “IGPOTY is once again proud to return to Cambridge University Botanic Garden, with a new photography exhibition full of creative talent which spans the genres of; garden, flora, fauna, and fungi photography, featuring images from across the world. Thank you to CUBG for hosting in 2026; I am sure that visitors will love the new curated selection.”
IGPOTY has announced the Overall Winner of Competition 19, with Mark Hetherington from Cumbria, England, taking the top prize with his photograph titled ‘Grange Fell Last Night’. The results of the competition’s other categories have also been revealed, with some of the winning images below.
Winners of Around the World at Cambridge University Botanic Garden
The winning images of the Around the World at Cambridge University Botanic Garden Special Award will be featured in the exhibition and are:
1st place 'Japanese Serenity in Bloom' - Claudia Gaupp
First place has been awarded to Claudia Gaupp for her photograph entitled ‘Japanese Serenity in Bloom’, with the cherry tree, Prunus serrulata ‘Alboplena’ transporting her to the “tranquil spirit of a Japanese garden’. She wrote: “Backlit by the sun, its gnarled branches appeared like strokes from an Asian ink painting, while its sturdy trunk lay nestled among moss-covered stones. Nearby, a graceful Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’, along with bergenias and bamboo, basked in the fresh light of spring. A true Zen moment between seasons, it made me pause – and reach for my camera.” The cherry tree, Prunus serrulata ‘Alboplena’, can be found above the lake in the Rock Garden.
2nd place 'Jade Vine Flower' - Elizabeth Fiddy
Elizabeth Fiddy’s ‘Jade Vine Flower’ received second place. Elizabeth wrote that she was “absolutely stunned at its colour and beauty and was absolutely delighted to have managed to capture this in the image.”
The jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) can be found in Tropical Forests in the Glasshouse Range and is currently flowering.
3rd place 'Bulbophyllum lobbii' - Allan Hale
Third place has been awarded to Allan Hale for his photograph of Bulbophyllum lobbii, taken in the Glasshouse Range. Allan was fascinated by the delicacy of the orchid and its bright colours. He added: “The out-of-focus flower in the background added to the composition.”
Allan was also a winner in last year’s competition, ‘Weird and Wonderful in Cambridge University Botanic Garden’, with his ‘Lotus Flower Seedheads’ photograph gaining first place.
Finalists for the special award included; Katarzyna Bidston with ‘Magnolia’, Anna Forsell with ‘Rising Bud’ and Claudia Gupp with ‘A World Woven for Bees’. Highly commended was awarded to Sarah Morrison with ‘Green Lace’. These photographs can be seen below:
The IGPOTY outdoor exhibition at CUBG will run from 20 March to 6 May with large displays on Bateson Walk near the Garden’s Grass Maze. The exhibition is free with normal Garden admission.
