Over the dark winter months of lockdown, the London College of Garden Design announced it was sponsoring a competition for a show garden at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show 17-18 July 2021, on the theme of countryside borders. At a time of cold dark evenings and even darker news, I really wanted to try something new and also look ahead to the summer, so I put in an entry just for fun. And it was fun, as I drew my inspiration from the Delos garden at Sissinghurst in Kent. This part of the world-famous gardens, created by Vita Sackville West and her husband Harold Nicholson, had rather lost its original impact over the decades since it was first installed in the 1930s. Luckily funds, energy and imagination have led to their renewal and reinvigoration with a planting design overseen by Dan Pearson. I thought this was a great starting point for a country border for the future, reflecting the potential impact of climate change on our landscapes and gardens.
I was delighted to have my entry selected for the show, along with 9 others. Here’s the collage I made to show my planting ideas.

I’ll be at Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show from 17-18 July.

Hope to see you there!