Filled with garden inspiration, expert advice, floral markets, and live entertainment, BBC Gardeners’ World Live landed at the NEC Birmingham on 13 June. Renowned for its size and variety, the four day event “is the ultimate gardener’s day out”. Digging a little deeper into the making of the event, here are our top highlights from the show:

1. ACO showcasing sustainable drainage 

Featuring in the Lunatica Garden, designed by Joshua Fenton, ACO is taking sustainable drainage products usually designed to go on roofs, and seeing if they can function as effective below ground drainage for landscaping projects. 

Fenton is using it’s Threshold Drain in a passive irrigation system beneath the garden’s surface, made up from ACO’s RoofBloxx geocellular units. The rainwater runoff stored in this underground tank then feeds the plants in the garden above, allowing them to wick up the water in drier periods. 

The idea is to explore ways to conserve water, benefiting gardens and the environment. 

2. World Skills UK winner, Anna Mcloughlin, makes her Gardeners’ World debut 

The new Urban Gardening space is now open and features a series of Showcase Gardens from the next generation of young landscapers, including two urban themed gardens built by World Skills UK winner Anna Mcloughlin. Designed by award-winning garden designer Cherry Carmen, the garden design focuses on how to embrace the issues faced by climate change. 

3. “Colour changes everything ” says Manoj Malde 

Taking stage at the Urban Gardening sector of the show, Manoj Malde discussed how to “colour my world.” Revealing how different colours can have such an impact on your mood when sitting in a particular space.  

Malde says how calm colours are best for peace and recovery whereas bright colours are best for creating energy. Studies within hospitals had even shown that light blues and greens would significantly help to improve recovery time, and therefore having gardens within hospital spaces is a great way of aiding patients.   

“Don’t be scared of colour,” says Malde, “like paint, try little tester pots.” By adding small samples of colour around the space, you can work with your client to pick out which have a positive effect on their mood and will work best to create the desired atmosphere.  

“There’s a real snobbery about colour in horticulture,” says Malde. “Do what makes you happy, make sure whatever you use in your garden lifts your spirit and take inspiration from the art around you.” 

4. Stop and Smell the Flowers 

Offering visitors ideas to take home to their own gardens, showcase gardens scattered across the Gardeners World Live site.  

After taking inspiration from her previous garden creation at Taunton Flower Show, garden designer Julie Haylock unveiled her showcase garden – stop and smell the flowers. 

“Even the smallest of gardens can allow you to think big,” says Haylock. “So, by assessing what your garden has to offer and using some clever design and planting tricks, you can make the best of your plot.” 

Inspired by a world full of technology and faceless interactions with people, the garden aimed to encourage visitors to find the time to sit and meet with others and take a moment to digitally detox and enjoy the beauty of nature. 

5. Peter Seabrook Award for Best New Plant announced

The Peter Seabrook Award was first launched at BBC Gardeners’ World Live in 2023, in association with the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation. Honoring the late plantsman, the award sets out to discover new varieties, colour breaks and characteristics that improve on an existing variety of plants.  

Winner of the Best New Plant Award 2024, the Hydrangea macrophylla First Editions® Eclipse® has a striking appearance with dark foliage and contrasting cherry rimmed blooms, centred in lime. It is ideal for a centrepiece pot or as part of a larger landscaping project.