* 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.

Sometimes we all need that reminder don’t we? Whether it’s an actual reminder, or one like that’s prompted by the recent upturn in weather. Stopping and enjoying, let alone smelling the flowers is good for us. Though don’t stop too long at the moment in my garden, or else you’ll see more weeds than I’d like, but of course they have flowers too and are often at this time of year one of the few flowers out so they’re good for our pollinators. Phew, I can leave the weeding for just a little longer then!

But there’s a serious message in this garden which was designed by Julie Haylock. Our world is driven by faceless, fast-paced interaction with technology (and the irony that you’re reading this on my blog isn’t lost on me) but by finding a peaceful sanctuary sitting amongst nature is important for our wellbeing.

In this garden a winding gravel path encourages you to slow down and take in the soft colour palette and fragrance of the flowers, engaging your senses. As you step through the moon gate you’re encouraged to leave behind your busy life to sit for a while and reflect, screened from the world, to focus on the important things: healthy, family and friendship.

What I liked about this garden was the repeating circles, remember in my previous garden we added circles to our lawn, so I think it loosely reminded me of that, and while I like circles in gardens our garden here is the wrong shape for that. Previously our garden was long and thin, so adding circles to the lawn made it appear wider; here our garden is wider than it is long, so circles, or even a large oval would make it appear even more squat and bring the back wall in. Which is a shame, as I know how to do circles!!

The pond was small and so you can see how introducing a pond as part of the Make a Metre Matter campaign would be completely doable, and I like how it’s above ground level in a corten steel bowl. I also like how its softened with the frothy erigirons, a plant that didn’t transport too well from my London garden so is definitely on my purchase list.

It took me a little while to notice though that the ‘Reflect’ banner was hung the wrong way round for most visitors viewing the garden - maybe intentional, maybe not - but either way it doesn’t detract from the space does it.

This planting is brought to life by the wooden sets providing a path around the water feature - but also the peonies, lavender and many other plants in the pink, blue and purple palette really are calming. I didn’t think a water feature was for me, but maybe I’m having second thoughts - argh! so much choice, that’s really quite the thing when you have a blank landscape. I’m not sure how these designers do it, and for the showcase gardens, how they bring it together in such a short space of time.

But I’m also very glad that they do!

* 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.

I’m not sure how we’re already mostly through August and how this is the first in my regular series of showing the gardens from this year’s Gardeners’ World Live show since my highlights post. It’s the same every year, though this year does feel slightly busier, perhaps because both of us are no longer working and while our days have some structure, they are much less structured than when we were working full time (obviously). And there’s so much still that we want to do, and go and see and of course everyday life still needs to happen, I just need to get myself more organised to make room for as much as possible in every aspect of our lives, while making sure we don’t wear ourselves out in the process!

Anyway, back to the gardens - this one is one of the showcase gardens, where the show’s blurb promises that we will ‘discover creative and clever design ideas’ which can be adapted for our own home garden.

I think this one caught my eye, not just because of the teddy bear’s picnic, but because at the show I was intent on looking at greenhouses and small sheds in all their guises, and this one has both of those, so it’s an ideal place to start.

Looking into the centre of the showcase garden and the teddy bear's picnic on the grass

The garden designed by Stef Haydon tells ‘the story of many generations, where simple magic moments in backyards and parks have sparked a love for gardening’ - and isn’t that true. I imagine each of us have a happy memory from childhood which when we’re gardening we’re reminded of, for me it could be the trailing lobelia plants tumbling out of small brick wall, or looking in awe at dad’s greenhouse - from the outside of course!

The plants in this garden tell stories of cherished memories, hunting for frog-spawn, making rose perfume (yeap, I think I probably tried that one!) and tasting sun-ripened tomatoes - and doesn’t it just look wonderful?

One of the raised borders filled with flowers such as pink roses and other purple flowers

Viewing the garden from the side shows the small greenhouse with tomato plants in pots

For my own garden I was keen to explore greenhouses and a small storage ‘thing’ (a thing as I was open to ideas - it’s purpose is to store/hide opened, and not yet opened bags of compost keeping them out of sight, but still secure. And in true goldilocks fashion, the ones in this garden are probably a bit too small for what I had in mind, though I do like the compactness of the greenhouse, but I’m after one I can get into and continue gardening if/when it rains. You’ll hear more on my search for the perfect sized greenhouse and storage I’m sure in future posts!

And one of the best bits about this garden - alongside the calming pebble pond, and the memories I’m sure it has evoked - is that it will be relocated to a Women’s Aid domestic abuse refuge after the show, so it can continue to give and inspire future gardeners.