A Space For Her

The garden

The garden explores the quiet journey of building confidence in a world where many girls and young women face pressure from social media and unrealistic expectations. Designed through the lens of a young woman’s experience, the garden creates a supportive environment while remaining a space that welcomes everyone.

Inspired by the ripple effect, the design reflects how confidence can grow gradually and spread outwards through connection, reflection and supportive spaces. A flowing, curvilinear path allows moments of reflection to be gently revealed along the journey. Slender timber posts engraved with single affirmations, chosen by 25 girls and young women aged 12–25, are placed intermittently, accompanied by subtle reflective elements that encourage pause and self-awareness.

The journey through the garden subtly changes, beginning in Reflection, a quieter, more intimate sunken space for contemplation, then winding upward along the path, and finally reaching The Gathering, a raised decking area that offers a welcoming space for conversation, connection and shared experience. This gentle ascent mirrors the feeling of growing confidence and self-belief, allowing users to experience progress and empowerment physically as well as emotionally.

Through soft planting, trees and carefully guided sightlines, the garden encourages people to slow down, reconnect with themselves and discover how moments in nature can nurture confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging.

The garden also features subtle interactive elements, inviting visitors to engage as they move along the boundary, encountering reflective surfaces and affirmation posts that encourage moments of pause and self-awareness. During the first few days of the show, women will be invited to write notes to their younger selves, sharing messages of confidence and self-worth, which will become part of the evolving story of the garden.

The planting

The planting creates a soft, immersive atmosphere throughout the garden, using layered, wildlife-friendly species to provide year-round texture, colour and sensory interest. A calming palette of whites and purples is complemented by a rich range of greens, with occasional accents of orange introduced to subtly represent confidence and strength.

Key plants:

• Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ – pure white blooms bring lightness and softness, adding seasonal interest while reinforcing a calm and uplifting atmosphere

• Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ – rich purple flower spikes provide fragrance and structure, supporting pollinators and contributing to a sense of calm and wellbeing

• Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ – tall, feathery plumes catch the light and create movement, introducing rhythm and a gentle sense of flow through the planting

• Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ – vibrant, airy flowers weave through the planting, introducing moments of warmth and energy that subtly symbolise confidence and strength emerging within the softer palette

• Betula utilis var. jacquemontii – elegant white bark provides year-round structure and a luminous backdrop, creating a sense of clarity and quiet resilience within the space

The designer – Sophie Sturgeon

Sophie has been involved in the landscape and garden design industry since 2016, when she began her undergraduate degree at Writtle University College. She has since completed a Master’s in Landscape Architecture and has over seven years’ professional experience as a Landscape Architect, designing spaces that balance functionality, inclusivity and a strong connection to nature. She is particularly passionate about creating landscapes that support wellbeing and mental health, using design to foster meaningful, restorative experiences.

About the sponsor – Ground Control

Ground Control sees sponsoring the garden as an opportunity to support and champion young women in the landscape industry, particularly emerging designers like Sophie. The garden also provides a platform to highlight the importance of designing safe and inclusive public spaces for girls and women, bringing this conversation into the design process and the wider industry.

Sustainability notes

Throughout the design the garden promotes biodiversity through planting, use of year-round planting and a wide variety of flowering species that support pollinators. This can be replicated at home to encourage bees and insects in to the garden. They are also using permeable paving where possible to help reduce surface water run off.

The contractor, Ground Control, endeavours to take a dynamic, flexible, eco-conscious approach to construction. Sustainable materials will be used where possible to reduce the gardens environmental impact.

The garden legacy

Sophie is currently seeking a women’s or girls’ charity, community centre, or organisation that would benefit from receiving this garden after the show, allowing its beauty and purpose to continue making a difference.