A beautiful border that's In the Pink

* I was invited to the press preview for and provided with a pair of tickets to Gardeners’ World Live so I’m marking posts from the show as 'Ad’ - as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

The theme for the beautiful borders at the 2023 Gardeners’ World Live was ‘My Garden Escape’, but as ever they were bursting with inspiration and ideas, and lived up to their name of being beautiful.

This week I’m sharing the border designed by the Gardeners’ World presenter Sue Kent, titled In the Pink.

Pink is Sue’s favourite colour and she says that scented flowers are her joy and painting her escape. This border includes all three of these, and I correctly spotted the colour progression from bright pink to white pink, and includes roses and peonies, annuals and perennials and the odd vegetable too.

The spaces aren’t large, but it really does show what you can do in a small space. Even so, the colour progression was clear, so here’s a closer look at each end of the border.

Colour affects our energies and emotions, in this border Sue has created a space ‘for visitors to absorb and assess how that colour makes them feel’ - I know I left with a smile on my face.

But one last picture, the art and painting. Sue explained that painting was important to her, but she also needed something that would cope with all weather and wouldn’t spoil for the show. That ruled out paper and watercolours, as soggy paper wasn’t really the look. So she dug out her pink nail varnishes and a piece of glass and took it from there.

Brilliant, hey? And definitely beautiful. I so wish you could experience the beautiful smell for yourself!

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was as fabulous as ever!

Narnia: A good book and a beautiful border

The Chronicles of Narnia was one of the books of my childhood, it’s a classic and I hope it’s regarded in the same way for children today. The most classic, or the classic-ist of the series, surely has to be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and so there had to be a wardrobe in this Beautiful Border at Gardeners’ World Live last year. And thankfully there was.

It turned out to be a smart move as complete with mirrors, false perspective trellis, vertical bedded walls and the top it provided a lot more space and height than many of the other borders at the show. Of course the ice queen and her surroundings are comprised of the white, silver and blue plants, cool enough to make you shiver.

It was a border that was packed, and packed with plenty of my favourite plants. These white astrantias and as I walked further around the border - and not through the wardrobe - the much warmer colours of the red hot pokers and gazanias.

The garden was designed by Derby College and sponsored by the Derby Branch of the MS Society, and was clearly popular with everyone who clamoured around it to see more, to experience the Narnia-factor for themselves.

Stepping back the garden just worked, it transported any of us that knew the story but also worked for those only just discovering Narnia. The bigger picture only worked though, as in life, by ensuring the detail was correct too.

The slate on its slide representing a stream of trickling water, and as ever with these borders it makes use of plants that are easily accessible: hostas, roses, lobelia and I think I can spy some alyssum in the photo below too.

Isn’t it great? And doesn’t it make you want to re-read the books?

White and shade, peace and elegance

According to the information alongside this Beautiful Border at Gardeners’ World Live earlier this year, the inspiration for this space came from “the many shady spots that occur in gardens, which can be hard to make look attractive.”

It aims, and I think manages, to take a part of the garden that’s often neglected and unloved and make it lovely and stylish too. It’s simoke colour scheme of green and white, gorgeous tiles and my firm favourite ferns helps create a “magical shady border that really captures the dramatic effect of white and shade.”

It’s also pretty good to look at isn’t it?  I’m imagining a tranquil, urban city space that’s a haven to escape the busyness of life. In reality, this was planted in a small(ish) raised bed outside the NEC in Birmingham, where it rained during our visit - that paints quite a different picture doesn’t it, and if you don’t mind I’m happy sticking with my vision over reality this time round.

What about you?