First showcased at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in 2025, where it won a prestigious Silver medal, the Pocket Planting border Go with the Flow has been permanently relocated into the grounds of Willen Hospice, in Buckinghamshire, as a gift for staff, patients, volunteers and visitors.
The garden was designed by Anne Beavis and Jerrad Kinsella as a refuge for wildlife in inner cities. By capturing and storing surface water runoff from existing infrastructure, it demonstrates how landscaping and natural topography can be used to combat flooding and support biodiversity.
A mini wetland habitat gifted to the hospice
Located on the banks of Willen Lake in Milton Keynes, Willen Hospice has a large green area by the water that forms the perfect environment for a garden like Go with the Flow. The award-winning border has been added to the existing wildlife pond, creating a mini wetland habitat near The Well – a building where the hospice patients undergo counselling and treatments. “Children do art therapy nearby, so they can now sketch wildlife in their natural habitats,” said Jerrad.
At the heart of the garden are specially designed small pools which overflow into the main pond, offering wildlife safe and accessible routes in and out. Tall reeds and rushes attract dragonflies, whose larvae need to crawl up out of the water to moult, while low-growing plants provide shade to reduce evaporation and places for frogs to cling to while spawning. Hypericum elodes creates the ideal environment for newts to lay their eggs and Mentha aquatica helps deter mosquitoes from the smaller pools.
The garden also makes clever use of materials that would otherwise be wasted. Excavated soil has been used to create drier planting areas and habitats for hibernating creatures like newts and frogs. Excess materials from building projects at the hospice have been repurposed – sand piles provide nesting sites for mason bees and leftover logs have a new lease of life as homes for insects and amphibians, as well as sources of food for birds.
The garden contains mostly A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since.
Calling the garden home
Immediately after its relocation, the garden started attracting a wide range of wildlife, from newts and frogs to toads and pollinators like dragonflies, damselflies, peacock butterflies, painted ladies, bees and hoverflies. Several birds were already local residents, particularly robins and tits, but a grey wagtail was spotted enjoying Go with the Flow for the first time. Siskins and jays have also shown interest in the new habitat, as well as moles. “We didn’t have moles on our list of potential inhabitants, but we’re very pleased to have them,” said Jerrad.
“Spending time in nature has a range of benefits for your physical and mental wellbeing. Whether you stop by for a quiet moment or ask Tom for a guided tour, take time to listen to the birds, feel the earth beneath your feet and watch the wildlife already calling the garden home.”
The relocation of Go with the Flow was made possible by the garden’s sponsors: Hortus Loci, Eden Wholesale Plants and MCM (SE).
