Eco Oasis Show Garden | BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024 Award Winner
The Eco Oasis Show Garden was designed by Dan Hartley Gardens for BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024, where it was awarded the Platinum Award, Best Show Garden and Best Construction.
Created around the theme of sustainable garden design, the garden demonstrates how contemporary landscape design can support biodiversity, water conservation and wildlife while creating a beautiful and immersive outdoor space.
The design combines strong architectural elements with naturalistic planting, featuring Corten steel water troughs, a flowing water rill, sustainable drainage principles and a carefully selected palette of drought-tolerant perennials and ornamental grasses. The planting scheme provides seasonal colour, texture and movement while creating valuable habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
Every element of the garden was carefully considered, from the construction details and material choices to the ecological features integrated throughout the design. The result was an award-winning show garden that proves environmentally responsible gardens can be both visually striking and practical.
Winning Platinum Award, Best Show Garden and Best Construction at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024 was a recognition of the design process, craftsmanship and collaboration behind the project. The same approach to thoughtful, sustainable and creative garden design is applied to private gardens across London, Hertfordshire and beyond.
Eco Oasis Show Garden - A Sustainable Garden Design for BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024
The Eco Oasis Show Garden was designed by Dan Hartley Gardens for BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024, exploring how sustainable garden design can create a beautiful, practical and wildlife-friendly outdoor space.
The garden was inspired by the idea that gardens can work in harmony with nature, incorporating water conservation, biodiversity and climate-resilient planting while maintaining a strong contemporary design aesthetic.
The Design Concept
The design combines clean architectural lines with naturalistic planting to create a calm and immersive garden. A simple geometric layout provides structure, while generous planting softens the spaces and introduces movement, seasonal interest and habitat for wildlife.
A series of Corten steel water troughs forms the centrepiece of the garden, collecting rainwater before allowing it to flow through a linear rill into a rain garden. This demonstrates how sustainable drainage principles can be incorporated into residential garden design in an attractive and practical way.
Sustainable Planting Design
The planting scheme was carefully selected to demonstrate how environmentally responsible gardens can still be rich in colour, texture and interest. Drought-tolerant perennials, ornamental grasses and pollinator-friendly plants were combined to provide a long season of flowering, movement and ecological value.
The combination of flower forms, foliage textures and naturalistic planting creates a garden that feels established and connected to its surroundings, while requiring thoughtful maintenance and management.
Show Garden Construction and Craftsmanship
Creating a show garden to competition standard requires careful planning, detailed design information and close collaboration between designers, suppliers and specialist contractors.
Every element of the Eco Oasis Show Garden was considered, from material selection and construction detailing to planting combinations and wildlife features. The finished garden reflected the importance of craftsmanship and attention to detail in successful landscape design.
Awards and Recognition
The Eco Oasis Show Garden was awarded the Platinum Award, Best Show Garden and Best Construction at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024.
These awards recognised the overall design quality, construction standards and the successful integration of sustainable principles into a contemporary garden setting.
The same approach to considered design, planting expertise and technical detailing is applied to private gardens designed by Dan Hartley Gardens across London, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.