My RHS Blooming Border: A Celebration of Nostalgia, Family & Cottage‑Garden Charm

This year’s border is a gentle blend of nostalgic cottage‑garden style and a fresh, modern feel — inspired by the gardens I grew up in and the memories that shaped my love of gardening. Soft, calming colours, a classic cream picket fence and a playful willow dog sculpture create a welcoming, homely space that feels instantly familiar. It’s designed to reflect a typical UK garden and show how a small border can be both beautiful and meaningful.

The Story Behind the Design

This border is rooted in memories of my parents’ and grandparents’ gardens – the places where I first learned to love plants, soil, and the simple joy of being outdoors together. I wanted to capture that feeling of nostalgia and spark conversations about the gardens people remember from their own childhoods.

It’s a celebration of family, shared moments, and the way gardening traditions are passed down through generations — from sowing seeds to sharing cuttings and stories.

Key Features

Three elements bring the whole design to life:

• The plants (obviously!) and they will be added to the website once the garden is finished.
• A cream picket fence – a timeless symbol of cottage‑garden charm and neighbourly chats over the garden gate.
• A life‑size willow dog sculpture – hand‑woven in Derbyshire from locally grown willow. It adds a playful, heart warming focal point and represents the comfort of pets and family life.

The planting is full of familiar cottage‑garden favourites chosen for their scent, colour and ability to evoke memories. It’s a border designed to make people smile, pause, and reminisce.

Sustainability at the Heart

Every part of the border has been created with sustainability in mind:

• UK‑grown plants to reduce transport miles
• Long‑lived shrubs and perennials that support wildlife
• A willow sculpture made from renewable materials

After the show, the plants will be sold or donated to a local garden so they can continue to be enjoyed by the community.

Why I’m Designing a Border This Year

This year marks 10 years since my very first show garden at RHS Malvern in 2016, so returning feels incredibly special. The Blooming Border category also aligns perfectly with Border in a Box — it’s a chance to show how a thoughtfully designed, ready‑made border can transform even a small space.

Creating a border for the show allows me to share ideas, connect with visitors, and demonstrate the emotional power of gardens. It’s a wonderful opportunity to inspire people and show how planting with intention can create a space that feels personal, comforting and full of joy.

Sponsor:

This year’s border is proudly sponsored by The Pershore Times, our much‑loved local newspaper. I’ve been writing the gardening column for them since the paper first launched in 2015, and it’s published 11 times a year. It’s a joy to share practical tips, seasonal inspiration and stories from the garden with the local community.

Read the latest edition online here – https://pershoretimes.com/

Suppliers:

Landscaper – https://www.instantscenery.co.uk/

Willow Sculpture – https://www.emma-parkins.co.uk/

Picket Fence – https://www.gardentrellis.co.uk/