Eat the City

May 26, 2025

* I was invited to the press preview of 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.

I’m sure it’s no surprise by now but gardens that feature edibles and flowers together always get my vote, and when the garden’s also called ‘Eat the City’ then it’s also got my attention. This garden, designed by Phoebe Walsh-Gamgee is inspired by the urban environment and puts into practice the edible-ornamental approach along with companion planting to create a beautiful space for both the community and the wildlife.

I did like the central feature which spiralled through the garden providing a focal point and a place for planting - and the succulents growing vertically out of one of the spaces between the planks was a nice touch. It was also good to speak to the designer, who had clearly been working hard to get the garden together. Saying that I liked how some of the succulents had escaped raised a bit of a panic as they weren’t supposed to be falling out - oops. But as I said only she knew that, and not even the judges who were due imminently would know for sure, but I did leave her to fix it. I can’t imagine the stress of putting such a garden together, and to be honest, I’m not sure I ever want to try that.

The show notes included something quite profound, but also so very true:

A neighbourhood, a city, a community, and a garden share the same habits - they must grow. You cannot build a neighbourhood any more than you can build a tree; you can only create the right conditions, plant the seed, care for it and wait.

Isn’t it a great little garden?

This is the last show garden that I’m planning to share from the 2024 show, it won’t be long before this year’s show opens and I for one can’t wait.

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was just as good as I expected! I’ve shared more from my visit to the show - I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, this is the last garden I’m sharing from the 2024 show - it’s not long now until this year’s show, and I’m looking for to seeing what’s in store this year.

Vibrant blooms and hot pink swings

February 13, 2025

I’m sharing another Beautiful Border which really is beautiful - it’s My Garden Escape which was QVC’s Headline Border and was designed by Kitti Kovacs. The borders at the show were sponsored by My Garden Escape at QVC which is no doubt why this has a larger plot than the other borders I’ve shared so far, but what a space.

Kitti Kovacs designed it as ‘a versatile haven for connection and serenity’ and I know I’d quite happily spend a good hour or two here especially on a beautiful summer’s day, you know the sort that have been so lacking in the greys of February.

This border aims to provide a space for connections and tranquility - a space for socialising, but also for finding peace. It’s definitely a bit of a haven - though the blue skies and warm weather helped, I’ll admit that!

And while the chairs are at the centre of the design, there’s so much more to it than them. The planting surrounds the seating area and the varying levels of height almost makes it feel enclosed and safe. And the plants were also something special - including some favourites of mine, and a new favourite too.

You see it’s so much more than about the chairs when you look, but they definitely catch your attention don’t they? And it really shouldn’t be a surprise that this garden was awarded a Gold, it really was a fantastic space.

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was just as good as I expected! I’ll be sharing more from my visit to the show - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

On my wavelength

January 30, 2025

This beautiful border designed by Kim O’Brien certainly lives up to its name, but there’s a lot more to it than you might think. The inland beach-inspired border is designed around a mathematical sine wave, representing waves of water and brainwaves.

The planting, with its predominantly blue theme, represents the water but also the abundant and varied life found within water. I’m a big fan of sea holly, and so I wasn’t surprised when looking through my photos of this border to see them dominated by this beautifully structural plant. I really must make sure I find a space for these in my ‘still in thought not yet in planning’ garden!

But it was also the wooden backdrop that caught my eye in this garden. It combines thought with mental health challenges - you can see the text on some of the colourful wooden slices, which are chained together to form a curtain - and this ‘links a vibrant community forming a network created by individual experiences’.

And it’s a stunning backdrop to this beautiful border, isn’t it?

I’d also have been more than happy to take a break in those deckchairs, but I didn’t. Mainly because there was still so much more to see, and I really didn’t think it would be appreciated! But also because I’d spotted some succulents growing on horizontal tree trunks…

That really is very clever, and that is something that is achievable in even the smallest of gardens. I always leave Gardeners’ World with so much inspiration, that my brain is overloaded and it’s only later on as I go through my photos that I remember, and then become inspired all over again!