Beauty and ecological richness are not opposing forces, but natural partners that can sit side by side without compromise. Inspired by this belief, the designer brings to life a soft, painterly border where ornamental elegance and biodiversity coexist seamlessly.

Visitors encounter a luminous tapestry of grasses and long‑flowering perennials, threaded with the light vertical accents of Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Helmond Pillar’. These create movement and an open, uplifting atmosphere. Key features include a woodland‑mulch path, a sculptural log pile, warm stone clusters and a shallow water bowl – simple, replicable features that quietly support insects, birds and soil life.

This garden is in support of: Leighterton School

Key plants:

• Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Helmond Pillar’
• Baptisia (dark cultivar)
• Knautia macedonica
• Daucus carota ‘Dara’
• Succisa pratensis ‘Buttermilk’
• Filipendula vulgaris

Megan Dodd Studio is based in Tetbury in the Cotswolds. Megan is a qualified garden and landscape designer with a deep love of plants, landscapes and the beauty of the natural world. Her work brings together clear, timeless design principles with a sensitivity to ecology and place, creating gardens that are resilient, biodiverse and designed to evolve beautifully over time.

Alongside her design practice, Megan draws on a background in environmental and agricultural policy, as well as experience in project delivery – bringing a thoughtful, well-informed perspective to how land can be shaped, managed and improved.

Reflecting a commitment to creating spaces that feel generous and achievable for gardeners of all levels, Living Beauty will become a ‘living classroom’ at the neighbouring Leighterton Primary School after the show.