Pollyanna Wilkinson, the Garden Designer
POLLY AND THE EGG
The appeal of a Big Green Egg goes far beyond food. It’s about quality time spent outdoors, enveloped by the natural world. In the buildup to RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20 – 24 May), three of the country’s leading garden designers have spoken to us about their craft, offering tips on creating an outdoor kitchen and sharing their favourite fire-cooking recipes.
This week it’s Pollyanna Wilkinson, founder of the award-winning Studio Pollyanna and a proud owner of an EGG. “The Big Green Egg is renowned for the flavours it produces. But also, aesthetically it’s very beautiful,” says Polly. “From a design perspective, the fact that they’re that deep green could not be better for a garden space.”
A CHAT WITH POLLY
Polly took time out from prepping for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show to chat to us about her love of gardening, why useability matters as much as beauty, and the secret to designing the perfect alfresco kitchen.
Win a MiniMax EGG and signed copies of Polly’s book
To celebrate our collaboration with Polly, we’re giving away a MiniMax Big Green Egg, as well as 10 signed copies of her bestselling book, How to Design a Garden, a highly practical, beautifully designed guide to shaping your outdoor space. Click below to enter our free prize draw.
FIRST PRIZE: A MiniMax Big Green Egg and a signed copy of How to Design a Garden by Pollyanna Wilkinson
9 x RUNNERS UP PRIZES: A signed copy of How to Design a Garden
SPICED CHICKEN WITH GRILLED COURGETTE, MEDITERRANEAN SALAD AND TAHINI SAUCE
Polly cooks on her EGG all year round (including Christmas lunch), but one of her favourite recipes is a pure taste of summertime: roast chicken with bright eastern Mediterranean spices, served with grilled courgette rounds and a herby tomato and cucumber salad flecked with pomegranate seeds.
Polly’s testimonial
EGGSPAND YOUR HORIZONS
For her chicken recipe, Polly used a Large Big Green Egg with an EGGspander System, which increases the EGG’s capacity and allows for the simultaneous use of different heats, surfaces and cooking modes. This enabled her to colour the chicken over direct heat before roasting it, resulting in juicy meat and perfectly crisp skin. She was then able to grill the courgettes while the chicken rested, without having to change the setup.
POLLY’S CHELSEA STAND
Studio Pollyanna holds RHS medals and people’s choice awards from both Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Flower Show. This year, Polly is assisting with the design of a stand for Project Giving Back, which gives charitable organisations in the UK the chance to exhibit a show garden at Chelsea Flower Show to promote their cause.
Big Green Egg @ RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
For years now, we’ve been showing Big Green Eggs at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, either on our own stands or in partnership with our dealers. We’ll be there again this year to answer your questions and let you see the EGG in its natural habitat, surrounded by amazing gardens. You’ll find us with Oaktree Garden Centre, part of our amazing country-wide network of trusted dealerships.
ABOUT POLLY
Polly is the founder of Studio Pollyanna, a landscape design practice based in Oxshott, Surrey, which works with domestic and commercial clients across the south of England. She is also a visiting lecturer at the Yorkshire School of Garden Design, the host of The Ins and Outs podcast, and the bestselling author of How to Design a Garden.
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