One of the joys of summer is the opportunity it gives us to get out and enjoy gardening shows. Whether we’re looking for design inspiration, new ideas to try, or just a nice day out there are many shows both large and small to choose from.

One of the most prestigious shows in the annual calendar is BBC Gardeners World Live. Held at the NEC the 2023 event saw a whole host of activities and amazing show gardens including the popular Beautiful Borders category.

These fantastic borders are perfect for small spaces and Direct Plants are delighted to announce we supplied the plants for the Gold Medal winning garden designed by Adam Marshall.

The premise of the design was that; “Creating a garden nurtures you in ways you would not have thought possible, both physically and mentally”.

About the garden

Adam’s garden was titled, ‘Strengthen your body, feed your mind and heal your soul’. It featured a pathway leading to a beautiful cloud tree. This robust and serene tree symbolised the gardener who, at the end of the planting process, emerged rejuvenated and fortified.

The cloud tree was framed by an arch equipped with a pull-up bar. This unique installation allowed visitors to retreat from the dizzying speed of everyday life, offering a chance to engage in physical exercise amidst the breathtaking beauty of nature.

And of course, the garden was a riot of vibrant, aromatic plants that complemented the endorphin-releasing benefits of exercise, collectively enhancing the sense of well-being among visitors.

We were delighted to supply Adam with the plants he needed to bring his vision to life. As you can see from the photos in this article, Adam fully deserved his gold medal award and the garden looked incredible.

About Adam Marshall

If you follow social media, you may recognise Adam as the City Gardener @greenfingeredcityboy. The surprising thing about such an accomplished gardener is that Adam didn’t start gardening until a house move in 2020.

Inspired by the desire to create a nice space from a garden which had suffered from years of neglect, Adam spent a lot of time watching videos online. Inspired by and armed with the knowledge from the best of YouTube, Adam began his own inspiring journey in gardening.

It’s a path anyone can follow and Adam’s advice for new gardeners or for those who want to expand their knowledge is to take advantage of all the information and advice which can be found on the internet.

Adam said: “If you don’t know where to start, watch programmes you enjoy, that you can get information from, and just get out there, enjoy it, and it’ll be good for you”.

Planting the garden

It takes a lot of plants to populate such a lovely garden so it was no surprise the Direct Plants delivery van was packed to the brim when it arrived for the show. We’re so glad we were able to help Adam create his vision and thought the garden was incredibly inspiring.

If you’re inspired to do some early summer planting head over to the website where we have hundreds of wonderful plants just waiting to be delivered straight to your door.

Don’t forget every plant which leaves our nursery is professionally packed and packaged to guarantee it gets to you in perfect condition all ready for planting.