There are great gardens and planting displays around every corner at Hampton Court - here are some of the ideas you could copy in your own green space....
Breathe and relax
Put scented plants like lavender near pathways and seating areas so that you, as well as the bees, can really enjoy them. The Food for Thought Garden has done this to great effect, with a small square bed of lavender positioned in front of a bean bag, the perfect spot to enjoy the scent and relax after a long, hard day.
Mix your greens
Don't underestimate the visual impact of mixing your greens. See this for yourself in the Urban Serenity Garden where lots of leaf shapes and textures provides interest yet the unifying greens provide a feeling of calm. An ivy screen set within a wall of wood creates a perfect backdrop - simple, stylish & easy to take home to your patio.
Containerise your veg
If you think your outdoor space is too small to grow your own fruit or veg, take a look at the Home Grown feature. From hanging baskets bursting with cherry tomatoes to pots of peppers in a rainbow of colours, chillis, cucumbers, lettuce - there's no limit to the veg you can grow in containers, even on a balcony or in a courtyard. So give the supermarket a miss and get your salad fresh from the garden instead.
Nature's bird table
If you want to encourage more garden wildlife, you need to relax your ideas about being too tidy outdoors! Take home the idea from the Fields of Gold area - sunflowers planted en masse that could be left in situ through the winter. In summer the bees will love it, and as the seasons change you'll be providing a natural bird table smothered with sunflower seeds!
Give your garden a buzz
Get your garden buzzing with life by taking home some of the planting ideas from the Copella Bee Garden. By using the right plants - perennial salvias, lavender, thyme, Verbena bonariensis, Cerinthe and Scabiosa - you'll get the insects making a beeline for your garden, which will encourage garden biodiversity.
Raising the level
/Gardens/Girlguides_LW?width=243)
A few raised beds are a good idea for everyone's garden and the Girlguiding UK Centenary Garden shows us how to add them with flair. See them stuffed full of colourful veg with calendulas as companion plants so that their ornamental appeal is just as great as their functionality. Raised beds not only encourage children to take ownership of their own piece of garden, but are convenient for the elderly as well.
Green up your boundaries
If your garden needs a boundary, don't instantly opt for a fence - go for a hedge. Hornbeam hedging as seen in the Birchfield garden, makes a lovely backdrop for a host of planting schemes, giving structure to mixed plantings and fitting brilliantly with formal gardens as well. Trim the hedge once a year and enjoy the extra bird life that will play hide and seek in it!