The RHS Badminton Flower Show, which is being held on the Badminton Estate in Gloucester for the first time this year, was full of take-home ideas for gardens large and small. From the show gardens to the planting displays, and with plenty of shopping to be done, there is a lot to take in around the new site.
Here, we round up some of the features we saw that inspired us.
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Simple hazel posts
The Split Hazel Basketry garden designed by Henry T Pope celebrated the art of split basketry, now only practised by a handful of people in the UK. We loved this beautiful hazel boundary 'fence' – such a simple and cheap way of denoting a boundary without obscuring a space with fencing panels. We can see this working really nicely in a front garden or community space.
Gorgeous gazebo
This beautiful gazebo on the Honing Heritage garden designed by Nick Leitch serves as a focal and gathering point. It was made bespoke for the garden by Beltane Forge. Not a cheap option of course, although you could scour reclamation yards for a vintage example or look for good value off the shelf options. Add climbers such as roses for scent, shade and privacy.
Rustic gate
This simple artisan gate spotted on the Archers 75th Anniversary garden designed Jo Thompson again denotes a boundary without enclosing the garden too much. It also shows that you don't need to be too precious when it comes to your garden features - the gate is held in place by agricultural rope. This make-do-and-mend approach has a charm all of its own.
Scented wigwam
The Perfume Pavillions were all about... scent, of course. These beautiful rustic wigwams, shaped like shuttlecocks in a nod to the Badminton Estate location, were smothered in the scented evergreen climber, Trachelospermum jasminoides - a delightful structure for the garden all year round.
Unmade path
More and more show gardens, at Chelsea and at Badminton have embraced thin, 'unmade' self-binding or self-compacting gravel paths, such as the one shown here in the Archers 75th Anniversary garden. A far cheaper alternative to expensive paving or bricks - and permeable too, which means that rainwater can filter through.
Bee Kind beehive
This eye-catching beehive in Tom Stuart-Smith's stunning Julia Rausing garden is a Bee Kind hive, designed by Matt Somerville - you can see a similar example at Knepp Walled Garden.
Rain swale
The Archers 75th Anniversary garden highlighted the environmental challenges that farmers (and all of us) face. This swale captures rainwater, temporarily filling after a downpour and creating an ephemeral wildlife pond.
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Partial hedge
Leaving spaces in a hedge is a great way to frame views into the garden and also out from it - a particularly useful device if you want to frame views of countryside beyond a garden. This example was spotted on the Space for Her garden designed by Sophie Sturgeon.
Cork wall
The Silo: All That Comes in Remains garden, designed by Abigail Stoyle, was packed with clever take-home ideas. Like several of the gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, it features oystercrete, a concrete made from oyster shells, a byproduct of the restaurant industry. On top of the pergola, a green roof channels rainwater into a storage tank via a runoff system. The cork wall is made using waste products from the wine industry. Reclaimed Corten trellises enclose the garden and the seating area, with edimental (ornamental and edible) plants such as runner beans up them.
Succulent paving
Planting between paving stones is a brilliant way of greening up a patio or path, creating a permeable surface and adding more biodiversity to your garden to boot. We loved the succulent planting on the Plants Let's Grow stand in the Floral Marquee.
Low rustic fence
The Blue Diamond Garden Centres: Where Grief Grows Quiet garden designed by Sophie Leo was inspired by the British countryside's ancient sheepfolds. This low rustic fence reminiscent of the temporary fences used to contain sheep is another delightful but unobtrusive way of denoting a boundary.
