Enjoying the Golden Hour

April 9, 2026

* I was invited to the Gardeners’ World Live show and provided with a pair of tickets to 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 not sure if it’s just because I’ve recently finished my pink and orange embroidered pouch, but I seem to be talking a lot on here about my favourite colour scheme of pink, orange and yellow. And that’s continuing with this beautiful border from the 2025 show.

I didn’t realise it at the time - the pink and orange genes clearly run deep - but I suspect that’s what drew me to this space designed by Ellen Tozer, that and the magnificent planting.

Looking at the full border (with the tents and people at the show behind) and enjoying the rusty metal arch with the relaxed planting in the foreground

But first that arch, it would truly feel like you were entering a different space walking through that wouldn’t it? And that could be just what the designer intended as the accompanying blurb says this “is a space for reconnecting with your true self and escaping from the hustle of daily life.”

A meandering path edged with gravel through the border

No doubt you’ve gathered from its name that its inspired by the golden sunrise and sunset hours, but there’s also three key features in this garden which encourage daydreaming and letting go.

They’re the warm earthy tones of the flowers and foliage in hues of amber and orange, which is proven in promoting relaxation. The wild and free planting encourages you to reject formality and adopt a more relaxed approach, and that circular arch is to signify the sun and renewal - so not the stepping through it to a new, more chilled you as I thought - though I still think it’d be pretty chill to have something like this in a garden.

prairie style relaxed planting around the rusty metal arch which has a simple wooden bench beneath

But it was really the planting that I was drawn to.

yellow and orange blooms leaning over the raised bed

deep pink astrantias and bright pink foxgloves in the foiliage

It’s just glorious and full of flowers that I already love, and some of which I have or have been acquiring for my garden. I have foxgloves, though I’m not sure I’ve seen any evidence of them this year; I have an astrantia too, though mine is the paler white/pink version but seeing these deep burgundy flowers I think I need some of these too. They are really beautiful flowers aren’t they?

A beautifully coloured yellow and pink veined iris

I also have an iris that is similarly coloured to the one photographed above, though I missed it flowering last year as that coincided with our holiday, so l I hope there’ll be a repeat this year. I haven’t checked on this either - my focus in my garden at the moment is weeds, and getting rid of them - but it’s still snug in its overwintering sheltered half-in/half-out of the bush position, and is getting ready to put on flowers just as beautiful as these again this year.

Fingers crossed.

* 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 them as much as I did the show.

Shared garden spaces and connections

February 26, 2026

This garden, to give it it’s proper title - Family, Nature and Neighbours, had plenty to make me smile and plenty of inspiration too. It’s designed by David Blythe and won a Silver Merit award at the show and focuses on the connections we create with our families and neighbours through the garden spaces we share.

Looking at the open door of the tiny purple shed with the planted green roof

A side on view of the shed with the green roof and white guttering

David based his design around the shared boundary, using the low dry stone wall filled with planting pockets and a fence with vertical herb planters, along with a wildlife highway.

A section of dry stone wall planted with ferns in pockets - and space for a lego figure

herbs planted in white guttering hanging on a garden fence

I loved the idea of planting herbs in this way, though it’s not right for my current garden which is a shame.

The garden uses companion planting with pollinator friendly plants which helps to create a space where we can connect with nature using our senses - sight, sound, smell and taste are all covered in this small space, and it really does make for a beautiful border in every sense.

purple sage growing in among the cobbled paving area

But it was the wildlife highway that made me smile; the hedgehog house and the hedgehog shaped hole in the base of the fence. I couldn’t help but chuckle though when I peered into the hedgehog house, which of course has its very own green roof!

through the hedgehog shaped hole in the fence is a hedgehog house - also with a planted green roof

of course there's a hedgehog in the house - a lego one!

The hedgehog wasn’t the only addition to make me smile, perhaps your garden already has lego figures in, or perhaps they’ll be something you’ll build into your plans for this year, who knows.

Two lego figures enjoying hanging from the fence -one's even reading a book!

It’s great to be reminded of the connections we make with a space, and how we can share them - but most of all it’s great to be reminded that gardens are also places for fun.

A British Rainforest

February 12, 2026

Given the amount of rain we’ve had this year I thought it topical to share this garden designed by Chris North, as the title caught my eye as I was scrolling through my photos of the gardens that I still want to share from the 2025 show.

It was a fascinating garden, or Beautiful Border, and it was easy to see why it was awarded Platinum.

Chris said that his border ‘encapsulates a regenerating rainforest, underplanted with native British flora’ and aims to ‘raise awareness of these magical woodlands and the need to protect them.’

Temperate rainforests are globally important habitats found in mild climates with particularly high rainfall and humidity. They’re rarer than their tropical counterparts but are rich in biodiversity which supports populations of ferns, mosses and liverworts. Though the remaining rainforests in western Britain are threatened by deforestation and overgrazing.

Alongside the planting, I particularly liked the iron fern frond sculptures inserted into the space, and I would happily have left the show with a couple of sets of these had I seen them. I didn’t get a chance to speak to the designer either as both times we visited the border he was being held deep in conversation by someone else, and the same someone else, which was a little frustrating! We waited both times, but it was clear the conversation wasn’t ending anytime soon, so I left with just the pictures - and wondering how MOH could replicate these, I do like to give him a challenge!

I do love a fern or two, and it’s something we don’t have in our garden here. After having so many growing, and self propagating, in our previous garden now that I think of it it seems odd for us to have none at all. I’m sure though, that’s something I can correct!

These sculptural mushrooms also looked right at home in the garden, I’m not sure they’re something I’d go for, and if I did I’m not sure I could make them look this natural either. At least not in the timescales required for the build for a show.

Isn’t it an amazing space, and doesn’t it make you think differently about the lush green plants that are native to where we live?