SEPT
2025
A Contemporary Wildlife Garden
A new build garden in Chorley, Lancashire with lots of potential was transformed from a plot with a patio too small to enjoy with friends, a lumpy lawn built upon compacted soil with no interest and very little in the way of providing for wildlife.
Gary wanted to create a modern, sleek space for entertaining his friends and family that had the wow factor and being a lover of wildlife, plants and gardens himself creating a haven for them was high on his wish list.
This in mind the space was reimagined creating an area of low maintenance porcelain paving just outside the house for friends and family to gather on the south facing plot with ample space for the high spec hot tub he desired.
As part of the design process I wanted to create a secluded spot for Gary to retreat to within the garden. An area to journey to, explore and breakaway whilst working from home. Space for a bench within the borders was designed to then be surrounded by his new wildlife friendly planting scheme which pollinators now flock to. The perfect tonic amongst a busy day of calls and spreadsheets.
A large raised bed adorned with the same contemporary porcelain as the new patio was designed to flank the soon to arrive hot tub creating planting at eye level to be enjoyed whilst in it. Tumbling Geranium will soon soften the structure whilst taller grasses provide sound, movement and privacy adding to the experience.
I look forward to visiting this one in 2026.
Steph
AUG
2025
Southport Flower Show
My last flower show appearance for 2025 was at the fabulous Southport Flower Show, a must for your diaries as it is one of the best and biggest flower shows in Northen England.
In collaboration with Absolutely Splashing I created a planting scheme for their garden design "Step into Love". Their design idea was to prioritise the use of reclaimed materials and create a secret garden feel to the space. With this they envisaged a wild planting scheme full of vibrant colour and excellent for wildlife.
I designed a richly layered late-season palette, where vivid perennials meet the fiery stems of Cornus sanguinea, anchored by the architectural presence of ornamental grasses. One of my favorites being Calamagrostis Karl Foerster for its long lasting form in a border, diversity of use in both in naturalistic and contemporary planting schemes and not to mention the gorgeous movement they provide in the slightest breeze. The planting layers were then punctuated by the statuesque forms of two ornamental pear trees, Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ — an excellent choice for challenging conditions, including heavy clay soils and exposed or coastal sites.
The garden went on to win a Gold Medal, a wonderful achievement.
Steph
JULY
2025
A Garden for the Community
Following flower shows, RHS Wentworth Woodhouse and Chorley the Wild & Tended Garden was relocated to a permanent home in my local Yarrow Valley Country Park.
A beautiful spot if you haven't yet visited and just perfect for the gardens ethos as much work has been and continues to be carried out within the park to ensure conservation of habitat, wildlife and planting alike.
Sponsored by Chorley Council I worked with them to insure the garden had a life beyond the shows. Which I hope now offers a space for visitors to be inspired by nature, perhaps a spot to unwind and consider what is possible in a relatively small space. It is also a wonderful opportunity for myself to reflect on what was one of the most stand out moments in my career so far.
JULY
2025
The Chorley Flower Show
Following the elation at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse, we carefully packed up the garden in readiness for its next appearance at my local Chorley Flower Show. This would be its final show outing before being relocated to its forever home within the borough.
After flower shows, gardens and exhibits are often sold off to visitors, allowing them to take home a plant they’ve never seen before or simply fallen in love with. However, I was keen for this garden to have a lasting legacy — a space where both the community and wildlife could continue to enjoy it.
It was a wonderful opportunity to speak with visitors about the sponsorship by Chorley Council and the location they had chosen for the gardens relocation in the days following the show along with ambitions for both myself and the business.
Steph
JULY
2025
RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse
What a whirlwind of excitement, planning, travelling, plants plants and more plants! All in preparation for my first RHS Flower Show debut and the first show of its kind in South Yorkshire, Wentworth Woodhouse. My garden design was titled Wild & Tended and featured in the Long Borders category - it was here I was awarded my first RHS Gold Medal.
I set out to inspire a balanced approach to plant choices in our gardens at home. I chose to use a combination of British native plants and wildflowers alongside cultivated varieties to create a planting scheme that was both visually appealing but also diverse attracting a variety pollinators and wildlife to the space.
I worked closely with specialist wildflower nursery Cumbria Wildflowers who grew on cultivars I had researched and selected back in the January of 2025. Key native plants of note within the design and particularly great for our pollinators were Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosetrife), Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp- agrimony) and a personal favourite for its wonderful scent along side wildlife benefits Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet). The feature shrubs in the design drew a lot of attention whilst at the show. The native Euonymus europeaus (European Spindle) grown to form medium sized, multi-stemmed trees with a wealth of seasonal interest took center stage in the border. From their textually unique bark, spring blossom, intense autumn colour and - the main talking point of the show, the seed pods in abundance, displaying their characterful tiny jester hat like appearance that cling to the plant throughout the winter months - if not devoured by our wonderful birds! At the time of the show these seed pods displayed in green and blushing red and in Autumn magenta casings burst open to display the bright orange seeds themselves - pictured above.
The Wild & Tended Garden was sponsored by Chorley Council, whom I worked with in a further flower show appearance at The Chorley Flower Show 2025 and then on the permanent siting of the garden within my community at Yarrow Valley Country Park.
It'll be nice to see this one establish as I often walk my dog Sylvie here, do stop and say hello if you see me.
Steph
MAR
2023
Featured in Modern Gardens Magazine
Back in 2018 saw the purchase of our first home and with it a blank canvas new build garden. This was a huge turning point in my career and in the years that followed much of my spare time was dedicated to transforming our space into something that was reminiscent of our travels. We wanted a space to unwind from our stressful days in the office and to reflect our contemporary decor and style choices in the house. With a shoe string budget much of the landscaping works we did ourselves with huge lessons learnt from our family members who had much experience to share, helping us create what is now a leafy retreat.
These efforts were noticed via a home & garden Instagram account I had at the time which subsequently lead to a four page feature in the popular Modern Gardens Magazine - Issue No.84. In which readers could learn more about my vision for the space, its intended use, garden rooms and overall planting scheme, along with DIY tips and tricks for other garden lovers on a tight budget.
Things are constantly changing in my garden today. I love to experiment with tropical plants and new planting combinations which I occasionally feature on my Palette Gardener socials if you are interested in seeing more.
As they say "a gardeners work is never through" - I can vouch for that.
Steph
