What Makes an Award-Winning Garden Design? Behind the Scenes at Gardeners’ World Live
- dan24075
- Aug 21
- 3 min read
What Defines an Award Winning Garden Design?
An award-winning garden design is more than a pretty space, it’s a carefully orchestrated balance of creativity, technical skill, and storytelling. My Eco Oasis Show Garden at Gardeners’ World Live 2024 was awarded Platinum, Best Construction, and Best Show Garden. Here’s a look behind the scenes at what it really takes to create a garden that captures attention and hearts.
The Power of a Strong Concept
Every successful design starts with a vision. For the Eco Oasis garden, I set out to create a modern sanctuary that promoted biodiversity while remaining contemporary and practical. This guiding idea kept every design decision focused from paving choices to planting palettes. You'll see that the structure of the garden is geometric, simple to understand and with a clear and pleasing colour palette. These things all help draw the viewer in and are pleasing to look at.
Behind the Scenes: Precision and Detail
The calm appearance of a the show garden doesn't do justice the technical detail that went into its construction. From accurate drawings to problem solving on site, precision is everything. My background in construction and contract management gave me the edge, laying the foundation for the landscaper to show off their skills and win Best Construction.
Planting for Performance
Show gardens demand flawless planting on a specific day. I worked with a specialist nursery to achieve the perfect mix of textures and forms. Spikes of Veronicastrum contrasted with soft umbels of Eupatorium, frothy masses of Alchemilla and Nepita flowers, and swaying Deschampsia and Calamagrostis grasses provide movement, rhythm, and impact for the judges and visitors. It wasn't all plain sailing though, the plants we ordered in advance weren't up to scratch, mainly down to the inconsistent and unpredictable weather we're now getting. So I had to scour the nursery over several days to find suitable plants in suitable quantities, bearing in mind the plants couldn't be flowering at the time of selection, I had to visualise the colour palette and plant form combinations, and needed to select them in bud with the hope that they would burst into flower a day or two before Judging started!
Teamwork and Creative Problem Solving
No garden is built alone. Behind the scenes, landscapers, suppliers, and contractors played vital roles. Unexpected challenges from weather changes to delivery delays tested the process, but adaptability and teamwork kept everything on track.
From Show Gardens to Hertfordshire and Essex Homes
While show gardens are designed for the spotlight, the principles are the same in private projects. My clients in Hertfordshire and Essex benefit from the same award winning approach: a strong concept, careful detailing, and planting that thrives season after season. Regardless of whether it’s a country estate or a modern urban retreat, I bring show garden spirit to every project.
Final Thoughts
Winning Platinum, Best Construction, and Best Show Garden at Gardeners’ World Live was a career highlight. But the real reward is applying that knowledge to create gardens that enrich everyday life for my clients. A truly award winning garden design isn’t just for the judges, it’s for the people who use and love the space every day.
Having created a Platinum winning show garden, I bring the same creativity and precision to private projects.
Contact me today to start planning your own garden transformation!
07814776032
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