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Show Gardens & Features
The one thing our show gardens never do is sit on the fence! They’re vibrant, intriguing, inspiring, beautiful and memorable. And this year is no exception.
Some of the UK’s best and newest designers create the larger show gardens, presenting new ideas and explosive concepts. Up to 225 sq m in size, the show gardens showcase a range of superb designs.
This section also includes two school gardens
Show Gardens | Back to Back Gardens | The RHS/Ball Colegrave National Flower Bed Competition
The Adlington Relax and Reflect Garden
Exhibitor: Adlington
Designer: Dan Milner
Contractor: Adlington
Sponsor: Adlington
The Adlington Relax & Reflect Garden has been inspired by a new lifestyle concept exclusively for those aged over 55.
At the End of my Garden
Exhibitor: Marie Curie Cancer Care supported by Wesleyan Assurance Society
Designer: Toby & Stephanie Hickish
Contractor: Summers Gardens
Sponsor: Wesleyan Assurance Society
This garden represents the poignant work carried out by Marie Curie Cancer Care in providing end of life care and support for terminally-ill patients.
Go With The Flow
Exhibitors: Aughton Green Landscapes & The Big Pond Company
Designers: Harry Levy & Geoff Carter
Contractors: Aughton Green Landscapes & The Big Pond Company
Water is the main feature of this garden with a bridge crossing over the main pond area. Assumed to be part of a larger garden in the North West of England, this is a space to relax, enjoy the sounds of water and look out for wildlife.
[ Go With The Flow ]
Real Life by Brett
Exhibitor: Brett Landscaping and Building Products in association with Geoff Whiten
Designer: Geoffrey Whiten
This garden provides flexible feature areas that can be easily adapted to suit your lifestyle.
Cheshire Al Fresco
Exhibitor: Candy O’Connell Garden Designs
Designers: Candy O’Connell & Karen Calnon
Contractor: Williams & Ironmonger
Sponsor: Avantage
Inspired by Southern European-style gardens, Cheshire Al Fresco stimulates the senses in a practical, usable and sustainable garden with scented planting, water and herbal plants encouraging biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
Celebrating Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08
Exhibitor: Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 08
Designer: Chris Beardshaw
Contractor: Jes Oughton Landscapes, Peter Dowle Plants & Gardens
Cheshire’s diverse natural landscape and rich variety of public gardens inspired celebrity designer Chris Beardshaw in the creation of this commission for Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ’08.
Lucifer (Talk of the Devil)
Exhibitor: Clive Scott Garden Design
Designer: Clive Scott
This garden has been inspired by the fiery-coloured Crocosmia and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.
Teenage Cancer Trust Garden – Punk’s Not Dead supported by Magnus
Exhibitor: Dragonfly Garden Design
Designer: Jon Tilley
Contractor: Dragonfly Garden Design & Build
Sponsor:Magnus
In association with: Teenage Cancer Trust
Dragonfly Garden Design's first garden at Tatton explores the cultural clash between teenagers and their parents’ generation, so is sure to resonate true with many visitors.
[ Teenage Cancer Trust Garden – Punk’s Not Dead supported by Magnus ]
Hot Dry Days
Exhibitor: Easy Tropicals/August Garden Design
Designer: Clive Mollatt (August Garden Designs)
Contractor: U2 Garden Concepts
This Mediterranean garden for relaxation will highlight the increasing potential of growing tropical plants in the UK due to the changing climate we have experienced in recent years.
[ Hot Dry Days ]
Always There
Exhibitor: North West Samaritans
Designer: Paul Hensey (Elysium Garden & Landscape Design)
Sponsor: North West Samaritans
Contractor: Foxcroft Landscapes
Always There celebrates National Samaritans Day, which takes place during show week on 24 July 2008.
[ Always There ]
Natural Distinction
Exhibitor: Jackie Knight Landscapes
Designer: Jackie Knight Landscapes
Contractor: Jackie Knight Landscapes
Sponsors: Jackie Knight Landscapes with Greenwood Nurseries & Hardspring Design Studios
Natural Distinction combines hard materials to produce a beautiful English garden. Water tumbles through golden sandstone rocks into a large reflective pond.
Tales from a Chinese Garden
Exhibitor: Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 08
Designers: Manchester Metropolitan University, MIRIAD, Ed Bennis, Prof John Hyatt
Contractor: Manchester Metropolitan University
Sponsor: NWDA
This garden uses Chinese plants to reflect many aspects of Chinese culture including art, literature, poetry, painting, calligraphy and mythology.
Aqua Life
Exhibitor: Outer Spaces
Designer: Phillippa Probert
Contractor: Premier North West
Sponsor: Merseybeams, Cambrian Concrete Products
Phillippa’s show garden Aqua Life includes several natural water features and combines a modern and traditional design within the landscaped plot.
[ Aqua Life ]
My own little bit of the lakes
Exhibitor: Paul Dyer ‘Very interesting water feature and landscape company’
Designer: Paul Dyer
This rock and water garden shows how to create natural effects using rock and water in an average garden.
A Midsummer’s Day
Exhibitor: Russell Watkinson Landscapes
Designer: Russell Watkinson
Contractor: Russell Watkinson Landscapes
This garden embraces tradition and history in all aspects of its design. Ornamental planting is brought together with re-usable plants and reclaimed hard materials to present a garden of historical interest that would best suit an old house or large space.
The Cool Garden
Exhibitor: South Lakeland Parks
Designers: Jane McNeela/Alison Ryan
Contractor: Damien McNeela of McNeela Construction
Sponsors: South Lakeland Parks, PEC Lodges
This geometric garden fronts a holiday lodge and includes a lot of evergreen for all-year structure as well as plants for interest throughout the peak season.
The open family space concentrates on structure, height and water with minimal inclusion of colour.
[ The Cool Garden ]
Cultivating Young Minds
Exhibitor: Just Living Gardens
Designer: Philip Hinchcliffe (Just Living Gardens)
Sponsors: Extended Schools (Children’s, Young People and Families Directorate) – Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Natural Paving Products (UK), Street College, The Enterprise Factory, Stoller Charitable Trust, The Rotary Club of Oldham Metro
Working with six schools in the Oldham area, the designer uses the garden to reflect the difficulties that young people can have with education by showing how different routes can lead to the same outcome.
East Meets West
Exhibitor: Urban Vision Partnership/Casey Group of Companies
Designer: Urban Vision Partnership – Dan Sterry
Contractor: Casey Group of Companies
Illustrating a combination of Eastern and Western landscaping styles, this garden is a stylised living space for quiet contemplation and relaxation.
Planting is typical of that found in the two regions, including Japanese maple, jasmine and bamboo. A zen platform illustrates elements of a traditional Eastern garden and a wall surrounding the garden reflects Western enclosed styles.
[ East Meets West ]
Show Feature
Manchester’s Museums & Galleries
Exhibitor: Manchester’s Museums & Galleries
This show feature is a source of information on the cultural sites in Manchester.
Show Feature
Success Breeds Success
Exhibitor: Vale Royal Borough Council
Designer: Martin Thornhill (Streetscene Manager, Vale Royal Borough Council)
This year the team takes you on a journey through a collection of all three of its previous award-winning show features at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.
Show Feature
Chill Out! (Bedding Plants are Cool)
Exhibitor: British Protected Ornamentals Association (North West Group)
Designer: Derek Smith
Contractor: British Protected Ornamentals Association (North West Group)
Once again the members of the British Protected Ornamentals Association (North West Group) are using a quirky and humorous theme to promote their bedding plants.
Show Feature
Go on, have a grow...
Exhibitor: BBC North West Tonight
Designer: Reaseheath College
Contractor: Reaseheath College
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a big trend in horticulture this year. There are many benefits to growing your own, including making it easy to eat your 'five a day' and have a healthy diet.
Show Feature
Metamorphosis
Exhibitor: Reaseheath College
Designer: Reaseheath College
Contractor: Reaseheath College
Linked to Reaseheath’s wildlife-themed garden, this interactive activity zone will appeal to visitors, and especially to children, with live insect displays, goodies and baddies identification and information on planting.
School Garden
Salt and our Community
Exhibitor: Oaklands School/Winsford Education Partnership
Designer: Oaklands School
The purpose of this garden, which celebrates the salt industry of Cheshire and the North West, is to promote collaborative working among schools through the Winsford Education partnership.
School Garden
St Vincent’s R C Primary School
Exhibitor: St Vincent’s R C Primary School
Designers: Children of St Vincent’s School
This eco-garden, created by children of all ages at St Vincent’s R C Primary School, explores the idea of sustainable living/gardening.