It may have been something to do with the scorching heat but the gardens that caught my eye at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023 all had water. The temptation to paddle was huge!
Styles ranged from the formal rill of Lucy Bravington’s gold-winning design for Liz Earle Beauty Co to the simplicity of the wildlife pond in Vicky Lincoln’s ‘Urban Oasis’, part of the Showcase Gardens section that gives ideas for compact spaces.
One water installation that didn’t tempt me was on Ruth Gwynn’s garden. It was far too hot for a bath.
‘The Newson Health Menopause Garden’ was, Ruth told me, all about how being outside and gardening can help menopausal women. There’s plenty of fruit and veg – getting the right vitamins and minerals is important – places to sit and socialise, and two ‘wellbeing areas’, a yoga corner and the bathtub, which is heated by a woodfire.
“Even if you’re not going through the menopause or the perimenopause, you really need to know about it because someone in your life will be going through this experience,” said Ruth, who won platinum and the Best Show Garden award.
BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023, at Birmingham’s NEC, is big – gardens, the Beautiful Borders contest, and Floral Marquee – so this is just a snapshot of what I saw.
Two of the gardens that interested me most were also two of the smaller designs.
I really liked ‘SubAqua’ by Joshua Fenton for the way it packs so much into a small space using innovative design.
It’s one of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) Avenue gardens where designers team up with APL accredited firms. All were showing what could be achieved in a small space on a budget.
As well as a seating area, a ‘lawn’ that had been allowed to grow long – providing habitat for wildlife and saving on time mowing – and a planted raised bed edged in rusty metal, Joshua’s design has a pond that spans the garden. Set over the water is a metal grid, allowing you to enjoy the water and the waterlilies while not losing any space. It also makes it safe for children though not ideal for those in high heels!
“We’re getting the biggest pond we can into a normal domestic garden while keeping it really safe and not sacrificing any usable space,” said Joshua, who also built the silver gilt-winning garden.
Frogs and other wildlife could get out via beds of perennials and veg, and there’s more wildlife habitat under the building, which is set on screw piles. Its solar panels and green roof add to the garden’s ecological message. The sound of falling water is also rather good on a hot day.
David Negus’ design, also on APL Avenue and built by Adscape Ltd, also has water although on a more restrained scale but it was the theme of recycling and the use of colour that really appealed to me.
‘Path of Renewal’, which won silver merit, was inspired by his time spent in Berlin and his daily commute through a former railway area that had been repurposed.
The materials in this garden are commonly found, often industrial, things given a new use. The paving under the radiator seat is driveway setts usually used in a single row as a soakaway. Here, they form a paved area with run-off going into small water features either side.
Safety grates from the building of The Shard were always orange but David, also known as the 3D Gardener, has sprayed some of the corrugated roofing panels orange to match. Both make eye-catching boundaries to the garden.
Water features don’t have to be big as the small pond on Katerina Kantalis’ APL Avenue garden shows.
‘The Chic Garden Getaway’, which won silver and is built by New Look Landscapes, is a ‘sow-grow-cook-eat’ space with raised vegetable beds, an outdoor kitchen, al fresco dining area and places to sit.
It also has one of the most tempting seats at the show.
In fact, there was temptation to sit down everywhere, including on ‘The Beauty in Small Spaces’ design by TJ Kennedy and Kerianne Fitzpatrick. Also in the APL Avenue, it won gold with a design incorporating three distinct areas – a front garden with a potting area, a semi-enclosed minimalist courtyard, and a rear garden for relaxing.
As with many of the gardens, wildlife habitats are worked into the design as in this bench.
The Beautiful Borders are difficult to photograph without getting either the NEC building or a tent in the shot – the sun this year didn’t help either.
This seat on the platinum and Best Beautiful Border, ‘. . . and breathe’ by Claire Morrell was a lovely space enclosed by white planting.
I also liked this combination of shades of pink on Sue Kent’s ‘In the Pink’ border, which won platinum.
There was more beautiful planting on Paul Stone’s ‘A Garden Fit for a King’, which won gold. (You can read about the inspiration behind the garden here.)
The wildflower meadow was particularly good.
I did escape the heat for a while to look around the Floral Marquee where many of our leading nurseries have displays.
This planting combination from Redman Hardy Plants is simple but effective.
There is also some cooling colour on the W&S Lockyer display. It’s a compact form with flowers that start green-white and mature to pink.
Green JJam Nurseries has some clever planting ideas using everyday and recycled items as plant pots.
It’s a recycling idea that I’m sure would have appealed to the late Geoff Hamilton, who is remembered on the Barnsdale Gardens display, celebrating 40 years of his garden.
BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023 is at the NEC Birmingham until Sunday June 18. For more details, visit the website.
Top picture: Zantedeschia ‘Morning Sun’ on the Brighter Blooms display.
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