At the heart of the jungle

* I was invited to this year’s Gardeners’ World Live preview and provided with a pair of tickets for the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

This was the last garden we saw at the preview event before heading into the marquee for the welcome and awards presentation, but even so the garden designers, Briony and Jonathan Dakic, were still generous with their time and answering our questions, despite us all needing to move into the marquee, and I’m very grateful for that.

I hadn’t expected to be quite so captivated by this garden, and it was great to see it close up and without the crowds that naturally flock to the show gardens on show days.

I loved the garden for its planting and because it was pretty much everything I’ve been trying to explain to MOH for one section of our garden, and now he gets what I’ve been trying to explain. This garden focuses on the foliage, it’s shape, size, colour and texture and the planting is dense - both of these get a huge tick from me.

The bold pink architectural arches were a great way to lead us through the space, but surprisingly I was less taken with these than MOH. Who knew, he’s finally getting the pink vibe maybe?! It’s not that I didn’t like them, but I think my lens for this garden was how I could replicate it in a section of my own garden, and for me, that meant no pink arches.

But pink and orange plants, yes please.

But it’s the foliage that I love the most. I’ve already ‘collected’ a new variegated fatsia for the space, having fallen for their charm in our previous garden. It’s also a given that we’ll have cannas and maybe even a banana - I’ve seen how MOH eyes them lovingly. I hadn’t planned to add any Lords and Ladies (shown bottom right in the photo below) into the main part of the garden, as they do spread but the orange berries do look good, so maybe, who knows.

It’s uncanny though as even the garden furniture is similar to the set we bought last year.

What I also liked about this show garden was around the sides there was also the detailed planting, which perhaps not everyone would notice or even see, though I’m sure the judges did.

I also picked up some new ideas for plants to add into this potential space in our own garden. These arum lilies are definitely going on the list, I love the sculptural and dark element they bring.

But I think with MOH’s hayfever and general aversion to lilies I may be struggling to include the ones below.

The other thing I noticed was the pink on pink clash that really worked. Nature has a way doesn’t it of making colour combinations you think really wouldn’t, or shouldn’t work, go together brilliantly.

The lime tree would be another great addition to my space - just perfect for those G&Ts, and it looks great too.

But for me the plant showstopper was this white fatsia, isn’t it gorgeous?

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for once again inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was another great 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 have.

Gardeners' World Live: Another great show

* I was invited to this year’s Gardeners’ World Live preview and provided with a pair of tickets for the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

It won’t be a surprise to anyone that I’m a fan of Gardeners’ World Live and as I said in my show preview post, there was plenty planned for this year. And I wasn’t disappointed. In fact I could have done with even more time at the show, so it’s true when the organisers said to me on arrival that it was bigger and better than ever before.

But before I share some of my highlights, there’s also some news for next year’s show. For 2027 the show is moving homes, leaving the NEC in Birmingham and moving just down the road to the Packingham Estate. I completely understand why they’re moving - more space, less creating gardens on car parks, and a stunning location, with Capability Brown designed parkland - and so I’m interested to see how it will work, especially as we usually travel to the show by public transport which the NEC is so handy for.

Next year’s show is on from the 18 - 21 June, so get those dates in your diaries now - it’s definitely in mine.

This year I loved…

Spoiler: pretty much everything, but specfically it’s these photos and gardens which keep on drawing me back.

THE MILL RUINS BY 3DG

I’d read about The Mill Ruins ahead of our visit and I was curious to see how it would turn out. That was easy - it was more than pretty good, and as the first garden I saw it set a pretty high benchmark. I loved the corten steel arch which as well as being a great entrance, frames the garden well. The garden explores ‘the quiet moment where industry gives way to nature’ and is inspired by the remains of Lancashire’s historic mills. I loved it on paper beforehand, and loved it when I saw it at the preview.

The Greenhouse Noir garden, which was next on my viewing list, was completely different but I was equally enthralled by it. I love how the greens and darker purple leaves come to life against the black boundaries. It’s a small space that packs a lot of punch.

GREENHOUSE NOIR, LITTLE JARDIN BY MATT BETTISON

Something different again, this time cheery bright umbrellas suspended above the garden that caught my eye, but it was the planting and especially the grasses that I really admired. The planting just seems to be full of movement, and is clearly very skilfully done.

UMBRELLAS, DAVE HODSON

UMBRELLAS, DAVE HODSON

I loved the play on the name of this garden, and its musical additions - though the drum kit at the back (complete with planting) took a little while for me to spot, but as there’s plenty to see and for my eye and mind to explore here, along with the pink and purple planting I was happy to stand and look at this one for a good while.

DARK SIDE OF THE BLOOM, ANTONY MASSIE

There was something calming about this next garden, and I loved the mosaics laid into the path. The garden invites you to experience a story told through soil, stone and sculpture.

THE ARTIST’S GARDEN, DENISE RICE FOR DERBY COLLEGE

But often it’s the little touches too that catch my eye, not just the bigger show gardens. A jar of sweet smelling sweet peas.

RETURN TO GOTHIC, GEORGINA SPENCER & ALICE POTE

ONCE UPON A TIME… A BRUSH BECAME A SPADE, TOM BRETT

Or the painters tools transformed into a unique water feature.

Or even the dragon fly made from an old circuit board. Each of these small additions have no doubt been meticulously planned by the garden’s designer, and I’m so glad they were.

ECHOES OF WATER, CIRCLES OF TIME, SAMANTHA RITOSSA

The theme for the beautiful borders this year was Once upon a time, and this came through loud and clear in many of the gardens, more so than any other year’s theme I think. Perhaps it’s one that our imagination can really grasp, and also that those of us admiring the gardens can also easily relate to, who knows.

THREADS OF LIFE, JAN O’BRIEN

I loved the Threads of Life garden which reflects fifty years of lived experience and is inspired by sewing and textiles but also supports MND awareness. While talking to the garden’s designer my eyes continued to rove the garden in front of me, at one point realising that some of the uprights in the garden were in the shapes of needles, I’ll share these in a future post, but it’s that detail that I love, and it’s that detail that the designers love you notice.

This next garden is stunning for many reasons, but not least because instantly this one exuded a cooler temperature, and just by looking at it. It’s size would most likely surprise you too - it’s only nine square metres, which isn’t very big at all - but it packs a lot in.

COMPOSITION IN THE PARK, JULIA MARKS & DENISE MALLEN

This next garden was the last garden we saw on the preview evening ahead of the judge’s awards and once again it was great to speak with the people that had put this together, who were incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. I loved the lushness of the planting here, but also because I was able to show MOH how something similar (but on a much less grand scale!) could work in our own garden, using more exotic plants alongside those that we are more familiar with.

And the lime trees could be going on my plant list too!

THE HEART OF THE JUNGLE, JONATHAN & BRIONY DAKIC

THE HEART OF THE JUNGLE, JONATHAN & BRIONY DAKIC

The headline garden this year was something special, it was entitled The Garden of Evolution and it was a spectacular landscape and educational piece. I got some photos before we left the night before the show opened, but we didn’t get a chance to walk around it until the next day. It was at the top of my list of gardens to see, and I knew it’d be popular so when we arrived at the show on Thursday morning we joined the queue banking on the logic that it would only get busier, and the queue get longer, as the day went on. It was a good move!

THE GARDEN OF EVOLUTION, PROF ALICE ROBERTS & PROF DAVID STEVENS

THE GARDEN OF EVOLUTION, PROF ALICE ROBERTS & PROF DAVID STEVENS

We wandered through the Folklorians garden admiring the planting, the bench and so much more - it really is a garden that offers sanctuary, and this is another one I’ll come back to soon in another post.

THE FOLKLORIANS GARDEN, KATE PATRICK

Back at the show on the Thursday the crowds were thick, and then we realised why - Frances and Monty were getting ready to film a segment for the TV show and despite the producers trying to keep people moving, their efforts were pretty futile - it seems though I’ve managed to perfect the walk along and take photos, with apologies to Frances who I’ve caught with her eyes shut.

FRANCES TOPHILL AND MONTY DON

Let’s get back to some more of those details - how about these eggs with googly eyes growing cress in the Make a Metre matter border.

MAKE A METRE MATTER, DE GRAFT MENSAH & LUCY CHAMBERLAIN

HOT OFF THE POTTING BENCH

Or the begonia with the spiralled leaf, one of the new plants as part of the Hot off the Potting Bench stand which showcases new plants, which are still a way away from being available in our garden centres.

There was one garden that MOH was keen to see, as he keeps telling me we’re going to have trains going around our garden (we’re not!) - and it was a great space, though I did tell him that I thought the best part about the garden was the posters!

TRAINS IN THE GARDEN, SUPPORTING GREENFINGERS CHARITY, ANDREW CHRISTIE

TRAINS IN THE GARDEN, SUPPORTING GREENFINGERS CHARITY, ANDREW CHRISTIE

I’ve mentioned the story telling theme already, but there were many playful elements in the borders this year. I was loathed to point out the cars in this garden, in case MOH thought that was a green light for cars instead of trains!

RELEASE YOUR INNER CHILD, ISH KAMRAN

RETURNING TO MY ROOTS, STEVE WALTON

At least the digger truck would be useful in harvesting the vegetables…

I was pleased to see another sewing machine at the show, and with this border making use of the most obvious sewing to sowing title. But it wasn’t just the sewing machine, it was the planting too especially the mix of edibles and flowers, which I am a big fan of.

FROM SEWING TO SOWING, ANNABEL DAVIES

FROM SEWING TO SOWING, ANNABEL DAVIES

The Stories of Memory garden had an Anderson shelter at its heart, and the garden was shaped by conversations with people living with Alzheimer’s with the shelter recalling the ‘Dig for Victory Britain and wartime resilience.

STORIES OF MEMORY, ADRIAN BURROWS & LUCY MORTON

And after all those gardens, I could definitely have done with a cuppa - thankfully I’d spotted one along the way!

RETURNING TO MY ROOTS, STEVE WALTON

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for once again inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was another great 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.

Looking ahead to the 2026 Gardeners' World Live

* I have been invited to the press preview of Gardeners’ World Live and provided with a pair of tickets to visit the show once it opens, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

As ever the Gardeners’ World team have an amazing line up planned for the show, and my plan is as always to see as much of it as I can, I’m fortunate to have been invited to the press preview again this year - and more importantly didn’t book a holiday that clashed with that this year.

There’s plenty of things returning for this year’s show, as well as plenty of new things to experience - my list is long, but here’s what I’m looking forward to:

1 Professor Alice Roberts and Professor David Stevens’ headline Show Garden - The Evolution Garden

Anatomist, biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts and acclaimed international garden designer Professor David Stevens are creating this year’s headline Show Garden, which will trace the evolution of plants and life forms through to the present day. I’m told the highlights will include a tunnel entrance, a central path that travels through time, primitive plants and the beginnings of human life, and that Alice will host live, daily conversations from the garden. It sounds intriguing doesn’t it?

2 The Show Gardens & APL Avenue Gardens

There’s an interesting line up this year with Show Gardens by award-winning design teams including:

• The FSC®UK Forests for Everyone Garden which highlights the plight of tropical forests featuring two contrasting zones – one lush, tropical garden featuring plants under threat, and another showing the stark effects of deforestation.

• An exotic urban garden named The Heart of the Jungle,

• The Artist’s Garden by students from Derby College which blends artistic expression with the practical charm of a traditional country cottage garden.

The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) are celebrating 10 years at this year’s show, and some of their member’s gardens this year include:

• The Umbrellas Garden inspired by the French New Wave film ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ - I’m not much of a film fan, but it will be interesting to see how this interpretation works.

• The Constant Companion interests me as it’s by a team based in Melton Mowbray, not too far from us. The garden aims to celebrate the relationship between human and garden, man and nature, and there’s some interactive elements too.

• The Mill Ruins is by another Lincolnshire team which has been inspired by the sites of old Lancashire Mills, which for many the only remaining evidence is a few brick walls, old doorways and the like. I’ve a feeling that this one will be hugely impactful and emotional.

3 The Showcase Gardens

These are always a favourite of mine for their visual impact and the huge amount of achievable inspiration they provide, this year I’ll be looking out for:

• Trains in the Garden which celebrates 30 years of voluntary railway service and a life-long interest in trains and railways.

• Dark Side of the Bloom, a nostalgic tribute to teenage years.

• The Folklorians Garden which explores ancient stories about plants.

• Greenhouse Noir a contemporary, immersive retreat that highlights how even a modest footprint can become a striking, modern sanctuary.

• And always a lover of pink, this one has me intrigued: The Power of Pink Plants!

4 The Beautiful Borders

This year there’s more than 30 Beautiful Borders for me to get round and see, and I can’t wait. The theme this year is ‘Once Upon a Time’ so I’m hoping for plenty of stories to share…

5 Adam Frost’s Tasting Table

Adam’s back again with cooking demonstrations, summer food inspiration and guests from BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and Good Food. James Martin, Si King, Lisa Faulkner, Barney Desmazery and Perry Wakeman (Rennet & Rind, award-winning cheesemongers) join him. This year’s sessions include home produce from the Packington Estate in Warwickshire, the new home of BBC Gardeners’ World from 2027.

6 The Marquee

It’s an absolute assault on your senses, even more so on show day - and it has so much to see. I’m hoping to share more of that with you over the next year, including the gallery of new plants known as ‘Hot Off The Potting Bench’ and the International Orchid Show, which is actually a ‘show within a show’. I love orchids, but I just don’t seem to be able to keep them alive for long, maybe I’ll pick up some tips from the experts.

7 The Smoke & Fire Festival

This is new for this year and the Gardeners’ World team tell me grill fans will love it. It features an outdoor cookery school, stage talks, shopping and a kitchen garden - and it will probably provide heaps of inspiration for the new barbecue MOH tells me we need!

8 The Good Food Show Summer

We always wander around this part of the show, usually when we’re hungry - and we’re not disappointed. This year’s guests include James Martin, Si King, Lisa Faulkner, The Fletchers (Fletchers’ Family Farm), and Dr. Chintal Patel.

It’s going to be a busy day out, again - and I love it!