A show garden with nature’s recovery at its heart has been awarded a gold medal at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival – and won Best in Show, Best Construction and the People's Choice award. RHS judges praised the garden for its atmosphere, flair and impact and for the high standard of its design and build.
The Wildlife Trusts: Wilder Spaces garden takes wildlife-friendly gardening to a new level, combining beauty with biodiversity.
Sponsored by The Wildlife Trusts, the garden has been led by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and its ecological consultancy Future Nature WTC, and uses plants from the wildflower nursery at Avon Wildlife Trust's Grow Wilder reserve.
Working with experts from Oxford Garden Design, the team demonstrated how wildlife habitats can be designed into the structure of a garden, using building waste, reclaimed material and untreated timbers.
The Wildlife Trusts believe gardening has a vital role to play in nature’s recovery, with long-term benefits for climate and people’s wellbeing too. The aim of the garden is to inspire visitors to think differently about the appearance of a garden designed for people and wildlife, and to show how we can all nurture nature - no matter what size or style of garden.
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said:
“A garden that alive with nature is a delight to spend time in. Being immersed in wildlife brings joy – whether that’s hearing the hum of bumblebees, catching the dart of a dragonfly over a pond, or the sound of goldfinches chattering in a tree. Nature soothes our souls, brings us pleasure and makes us feel good.
“Nature is also vital for the health of the places where we live because natural habitats absorb water during heavy rainfall, help cool our cities during hot weather and give us shade while also storing carbon. We hope our Wilder Spaces garden will inspire people everywhere to take action for nature and our climate.”
