A Look Back at BBC Gardeners’ World Live Showcase With @insammysgarden_
So, now we are mid-way through the summer, I thought it would be nice to look back at the showcase garden I created for the BBC Gardeners’ World Live event back in June, and tell you a little more about it…
A showcase garden is a display under 45sqm. You can create whatever you like, and the best bit is you need zero horticultural qualifications to do it (like me).
After creating my first exhibit at the RHS Flower Show in July 2024, I knew I had to design something that evolved from that display, as everyone loved it. So, I went ahead and created another full pink display for Gardeners’ World Live this year.
I decided to design the garden as a circle, so it could be walked around and viewed from many different angles. As it was roped off, it created the magic of looking inside and seeing the plants from afar.
I was awarded a gold medal for my efforts.
The best thing about it is that everybody loved it—so much, in fact, that I also came runner-up in the People’s Choice Awards, which is amazing!
My style of planting is a little different compared to the usual styles seen at garden shows, and that is what makes it stand out.
I designed the garden with one colour palette and a beginner gardener in mind. The pink theme really stood out to me, as it’s something I don’t often see planted en masse—and that’s why I chose it.
I used a mix of around 90% perennials for my display, such as salvias, dahlias, achillea, and astrantia. I then filled the gaps with annuals—cosmos (Cupcake Blush, my favourite), geraniums, and diascia. I also added Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion) and Karl Foerster grass for that floaty feel.
The idea was to show how a garden can mature: by filling gaps with annuals in the first year and allowing the perennials to spread over multiple years.
Using multiple tones of the same colour, if done right, can look amazing. Darker foliage can add drama to the planting, which can then be echoed in darker stems and grass heads—something will always connect one element to another.
The key with planting like this is to position, look, and reposition if needed—that’s the beauty of gardening.
I am very proud of achieving my first gold medal. The feedback was amazing, and I hope you like it from the pictures too.
Head over to my Instagram, @insammysgarden_, if you’d like a full plant list and plenty of garden tips.
