* I have been invited this year’s Gardeners’ World Live and provided with a pair of tickets to visit the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.
This time last week we were up early and heading towards Birmingham for what is becoming our annual visit to the Gardeners’ World Live Show, but this year it was a first for us with a visit on the last day of the show. I’d somehow managed to double book our holiday with the start of the show, and so we missed the press day (which was a shame) but thankfully were still able to get to the show to see all the garden loveliness, and there was a lot of that to see.
Here I’ll share my favourite gardens but as usual I’ll look at the gardens, beautiful borders and more throughout the year on my blog so keep coming back to see all that loveliness.
This is a photo heavy post and I make no apologies for that - I struggled to narrow it down to these!
WHERE THERE'S WATER, THERE'S LIFE - RACHEL BAILEY - PLATINUM AWARD & BEST SHOW GARDEN
Let’s start with the garden that was awarded the Best Show garden, which when there’s such competition is quite a feat. This ‘Where There’s Water, There’s Life’ garden designed by Rachel Bailey celebrates 30 years of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) which is the organisation that sponsors the APL gardens each year at the show, and comprises accredited landscape companies who design, build and maintain gardens throughout the UK.
This garden highlights the vital connection between water, plants, people and nature. It focuses on innovative design techniques that slow down water flow, ensuring it is conserved and used effectively in garden landscapes, which given the recent heatwave here in the UK is something more garden designs will need to consider.
WHERE THERE'S WATER, THERE'S LIFE - RACHEL BAILEY - PLATINUM AWARD & BEST SHOW GARDEN
The space itself felt like one that would also slow down and relax people too, which is also a good thing!
I was really looking forward to seeing how Nick Bailey would incorporate the #MakeAMetre matter initiative into his garden, and how successful that would be.
In short, very.
THE PLANT BASED GARDEN, NICK BAILEY
This was my favourite garden at the show, though there were plenty of close seconds! It has a bit of everything, and looks good too. There’s the dense planting that I like, as well as growing vegetables and flowers in the same space - and this garden looked super stylish too.
THE PLANT BASED GARDEN, NICK BAILEY
THE PLANT BASED GARDEN, NICK BAILEY
There’s a cluster of Douglas Fir buildings and structures in the style of a traditional homestead, including the Burnt Out Barn with grape vines overhead and a dining space below. The Brassicarium (above - and what a word!) to allow the protection of crops, a multi-occupancy birdhouse which towers over the plot (just visible in the top left hand corner of the first photo above) and the Roofed Barn seating area which overlooks the ponds and a meadow-matrix perennial/grass planting. Plus there’s the potting shed on the productive side of the garden with raised beds, compost heaps, cut flowers and productive hazel.
It packs a lot in, and just looks as if it’d be a joy to use and garden in.
THE PLANT BASED GARDEN, NICK BAILEY
The Nectary by Kate Patrick is a sustainable garden celebrating connections between skilled artisans, local business and nature. It’s inspired by beekeeper and features nectar-rich blooms, heirloom vegetables and wildlife friendly plants.
And just look at its seed swap cabinet crowned with succulents - that’s just a taster of what this garden offered.
Divine.
THE NECTARY, KATE PATRICK
Once again Kitti Kovacs has designed QVC’s garden, and once again it’s stunning. This Reflective Retreat beautifully combines aesthetics and eco-consciousness. The striking glass water feature is creates a calming, meditative atmosphere which invites you to stop and pause.
QVC’S REFLECTIVE RETREAT, KITTI KOVACS
The design fosters a sense of tranquility and connection with nature which makes it the perfect spot for quiet contemplation, and shows how thoughtful design can play a key role in shaping a more environmentally-friendly future - one garden at a time.
That theme was also central to the ‘New’ Build garden by brother and sister designers, Lucie and Henry Ponsford. Their garden transforms a new build home garden into lush, sustainable retreats using repurposed waste materials along with ancient crafts. It offers luxury without compromise with its handcrafted hut and an eco hot tub.
It was these triangular gabions that caught my eye though, aren’t they great? They were purpose built for the show, but would be relatively easy to replicate and are a great way to bring instant height to a new build, or plain, garden.
THE ‘NEW’ BUILD GARDEN, LUCIE PONSFORD & HENRY PONSFORD
The School’s wheelbarrows remain a favourite of mine, and there were so many this year. But how could I not share this one with the fir cone bee with its feathers for wings, and of course the googly eyes. The googly eyes did it for me, and this one got my vote!
SCHOOL’S WHEELBARROWS - BARFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL
This year I didn’t get to see or photograph all of the beautiful borders. After the wheelbarrows we spent some time looking at those on the top section, then headed over towards the Plant Village which we don’t usually visit. Our plan was to head back to the lower section of Beautiful Borders but that didn’t happen, though I did walk past one which had giant, and I mean human sized, replicas of slugs which just made me shudder. I’m not a fan of slugs anyway, and the thought of those - let alone photographing them, really put me off. Though we were also walked out, and with it being the last day there was already some dismantling going on, so we missed out on more than the slugs I’m sure.
The borders we did see, and there were plenty, were fantabulous. I loved all the pinks and purples in this one which I truly believe does ‘Nourish the Soul’ as it was designed to, while also being inspired by the gardens of the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull. The scent around this garden was relaxing, as was watching the bees work their way around the space.
NOURISHING THE SOUL, LAURA DOCKER
Chris North’s British Rainforest was another joy. He said it encapsulates a regenerating rainforest, underplanted with native British flora, with the aim of raising awareness of these magical woodlands, and the need to protect them. There’s also plenty of inspiration in this small space for our own gardens, and even in this small patch you could feel the temperature cool.
A BRITISH RAINFOREST, CHRIS NORTH
A BRITISH RAINFOREST, CHRIS NORTH
The metal fern rods unfurling amongst the lush green fern were a favourite of mine, and are something I’ll be looking out for my own garden. The shape is just so elegant isn’t it?
Emma Mayho and Pippa Willcox’s ‘To Be or Not To Be’ border explores the powerful connection between mental health, writing and nature. I’ve so much more to share on this one, as there’s a real journey through the garden, but until then I’ll leave you with this little ‘love’ pebble nestled in the moss.
‘TO BE OR NOT TO BE’, EMMA MAYHO AND PIPPA WILCOX
The Wonder Garden by Anthony Massie takes different inspiration, and it’s designed to invite children into the magic of the natural world. With brightly coloured flowers, the sound of water and more there’s plenty to engage the senses of the young and old alike. I liked how in my photo the garden is reflected in this small sphere…
THE WONDER GARDEN, ANTHONY MASSIE
Similarly The Garden of Reflection by Marc Buirski was designed to actively involve pupils in the creation and upkeep of the space, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility, and at its centre was this bronze leafed tree amongst the natural planting which also provides a quiet space for pupils for solitary contemplation or for group discussions.
THE GARDEN OF REFLECTION, MARC BUIRSKI
THE GARDEN OF REFLECTION, MARC BUIRSKI
And the last glimpse of a garden I’m sharing in this post - well done if you made it this far! - is a garden that offers a glimpse into the future. 2050 designed by Vivien Moseley is a garden that invites visitors to consider how gardening will change and what plant species we can plant in our gardens today which will also thrive in the future.
2050, VIVIEN MOSELEY
And unusually entry to the garden was through this rather delightful potting shed, which like many of the gardens looks as if it’s been there for ever, not just a matter of days or weeks.
This garden shows through derelict artifacts and features reminds us we don’t miss the water until the well runs dry - but we can create something beautiful as we adapt to the changing climate.
2050, VIVIEN MOSELEY
Again this is only a part of a very busy and full on day, but once again the show was jam-packed full of inspiration at every turn - and I haven’t even touched on the Floral Marquee or the area inside the NEC yet. I’ve so many photos to edit, which means plenty more posts to come!
But for now I’m going to pause and reflect on everything we saw, and what if anything we could incorporate into our own garden design and pot on the plants we bought - a few more succulents, some more herbs and a Peperomia caperata which is a native of Brazil (and I hope will like it in my hallway). Though I’ve a bit of situation developing on the soil and pots front, in that I don’t quite have enough of either, but that’s hopefully relatively easily fixed…
* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was quite a show! I’ll be sharing more from my visit to this year’s show throughout the year - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
