8 star plants of RHS Sandringham 2026
Discover plants that stood out at the first ever RHS Sandringham Flower Show, and inspiring floral ideas to take home
RHS Sandringham
Flower Show
Make a splash with clever water features from RHS Sandringham
From tiny drinking dishes for insects to cascading waterfalls, designers at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show demonstrate creative ways to use, store and enjoy water in gardens
Water is not only essential for your plants, it also keeps wildlife hydrated, cools the air and engages all the senses. Being near water can help us feel calmer, create a focal point and provide a beautiful reflective surface.
The designers at the first RHS Sandringham Flower Show offered plenty of ideas for incorporating water into gardens of every size.
On reflection
Between Chaos and Order Long Border, designed by Dan Steel
In this Zen-style garden, the designer has used the mirror-like qualities of a small pool alongside raked gravel and feature rocks to create a calm space among the planting.
A rectangular pool creates a very different feel, adding both space and formality. This perfectly proportioned design features stylish benches where visitors can sit and watch passing clouds reflected in the water, which has been purposefully left free of plants. On a garden for The Gurkha Welfare Trust, the metallic surface of a repurposed Belgian chocolate vat forms a striking water feature.
Go with the flow
Mindful Meadowlands, designed by Constructing Minds with Nature CIC
Designing a naturalistic stream for a show garden is no easy feat, but here the designers have perfected the look, using moss, carefully placed stones and woodland-style planting to create an enchanting waterside setting.
The key to creating a realistic pond or stream is disguising the mechanics of pumps, pipes and liners. Pebbles and gravel are ideal for filling smaller gaps among rocks, while emerging water can be hidden beneath bridges and walkways.
Creature comforts
Do one thing for wildlife, designed by Bea Tann
Adding a pond is one of the best ways to encourage wildlife into a garden. It does not need to be large either. Tiny water vessels, dipping bowls and bird baths could be seen throughout the show gardens.
An old Belfast sink makes an ideal miniature pond and needs just a few plants and some rocks to help wildlife climb in and out safely.
In the Long Borders , designers have made use of every available space. One charming water feature was created by a designer's grandfather using an upturned metal fire bell. Elsewhere, a small pond was tucked among the planting, deep enough for a water lily and finished with a liner and gently sloping gravel edges to help wildlife access this inviting source of water.
Water in motion
The Rhythm of Rainwater, designed by Anthony Purdy
The Rhythm of Rainwater garden drew the crowds and the awards. This stylish space using every level to create a series of water troughs, fountains, planters and reflective surfaces.
Moisture managed
The Butterfly Sanctuary Garden, designed by Amanda Thomas
Another garden making the most of every drop was the Butterfly Sanctuary Garden . Rainwater harvested from the roof flowed down a stainless steel pipe into a gravel-filld area, before travelling beneath a walkway into a lined pond for aquatic plants. Overflow water then passed under a second walkway into a rain garden, where it drained naturally into the ground among plants that thrive in damp conditions.
Looking for more inspiration?
Explore our Garden Design pages and be inspired by gardens from previous shows, as well as find ideas for planting combinations and plants for specific conditions for your garden.
Garden design
