RHS Tatton’s beautiful Long Borders fill the senses

These smaller spaces are an opportunity for designers and gardeners of any experience to showcase their talent on the big stage and this year they have been given the challenge ‘Make a Statement’

Be Bold & Beautiful

Designed by Samantha Stringer

This bold and beautiful border is designed to stop visitors in their tracks and create feelings of love and strength. A riot of perfectly pink plants is dominated by the feathery plumes of Astilbe, elegant spires of Lythrum and popping dahlia pom poms that tower over multiple varieties of other species. Cosmos provides a pink pop for pollinators while Echinacea sways softly with Erigeron; its daisy flowerheads helping to soften edges.

The Dry Garden

Designed by Leo Holmes

Baking hot summers followed by torrential winter rains have shown some traditional British garden plants and practices to be no longer viable. The Dry Garden offers a solution to both situations. A 5” layer of sharp sand provides drainage in winter, protecting the crowns of plants from rotting off, while in summer it maintains moisture and a cool root run. A Mediterranean spread of plants, chosen for their resilience to both dry summers and wetter winters, includes grasses, perennials and bulbs such as Allium sphaerocephalon AGM (round-headed leek).

Growth Begins with Reflection

Designed by Victoria Bettany, Eloise Wood, Sophie Wiseman
Sponsored by Wyevale Nurseries

Inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo, this thought-provoking border explores the effects that the pressures of social media have on our mental health. The space is split into two sections: expression and repression. When you first look at the border, the feeling that is evoked is one of contrast. However, as you walk around its boundary and notice the frames and mirrors, it becomes evident that there is an element of reflection within the space too, drawing parallels to the work of Kahlo herself.

Deer O Deer

In this border, two abstract steel sculptures represent deer browsing amid an array of curated plants, to evoke the idea that cultivated spaces don’t have to be fenced-off from so-called pests, but simply be planted in a more considered way. No plant is truly graze-proof, but there are plenty that are less palatable to wild garden visitors or which can tolerate a bit of a nibble. Here they include the wine-coloured Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ (A) AGM (Japanese maple) and grasses such as Miscanthus sinesis ‘Gracimillus’. Mophead hydrangeas and Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’ AGM (tawhiwhi) add to the mix.

The Staffordshire Puppet Tree: It’s a Family Affair

Featuring a range of edible, playful plants, easily grown by gardeners of all ages, the border seeks to inspire families to nurture relationships by gardening together, while also contributing positively to the environment. A collection of dahlias add vibrancy to the scheme, while the pom poms of unusual edible Acmella oleracea (Pará cress) add to the whimsical mood. Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’ (Ru) (white Japanese rose) and hollyhocks nod to the traditional while a cherry tree and blueberry bush add juicy fruit.

The Harmony Arch

Designed by Samuel Galloway

The Harmony Arch is a vibrant celebration of LGBTQIA+ identity, designed to inspire reflection
of one’s true self, set against a backdrop of nature’s diversity and resilience. An arresting array of plants in a powerful palette of pink and puce stand proud against four wicker arches, themselves symbolic of the journey of discovery and one’s ability to embrace discovered identity. Thematic planting includes Thalictrum delavayi (Chinese meadow rue) and Gypsophila paniculata (baby’s breath), both chosen for their light, airy appearance that reflects the fluidity of identity, while Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Overdam’ (v) (feather reed grass) stands tall, embodying pride.

Inner City

Designed by Melanie Donovan
Sponsored by JP Parker’s

This border demonstrates how even a small space can improve our mental and physical health while providing a habitat for local wildlife. The space is dominated by seven metal obelisks, representative of sky scrapers, that tower above the planting scheme of pretty pink Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’ (yarrow), purple Verbena bonariensis and Geranium Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) PBR, while wheat-husk yellow Kniphofia ‘Ice Queen’ (red hot poker) offset these steely hues with warmth, to provide a welcome contrast to the coldness of the busy city.

The Mid Cheshire Line Station Volunteers’ Garden

Designed by The Mid Cheshire Line Station Volunteers
Sponsored by The Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership

Twenty volunteers who tend gardens along The Mid Cheshire Line railway have come together to design a border that promotes a more leisurely way to travel. Plants including Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Kokuryū’ AGM (black mondo) and Sorghum nigrum (black millet) have been chosen for their low-maintenance and resilient qualities in the colour scheme of the local train operator, while others, such as Allium sphaerocephalon ‘Drumsticks’, reference travel or music in a nod to the ‘music trains’ that operate on the network.

Melting Pot

Designed by Elizabeth Broadbent and Tom Orton

Reflecting the beauty and vibrancy of the cultural melting pot, each plant within the scheme is characteristic of a different planting aesthetic, chosen to demonstrate how styles can fuse to create something new and spirited. Central to the design is a statement Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ AGM (golden Indian bean tree) that gives way to bold and heavy Phormium ‘Sundowner’ and ‘Jester’. Elsewhere, Edgeworthia chrysantha (paperbush) explodes with delicate yellow blooms to combine with the classic delicacy of Irises and Rosa ‘Summer Song’.

University of Gloucestershire/Nectar Nook

Designed by Megan Chopp, Phoebe Hunt and Ayomide Palmer

Emphasizing a small space with significant impact, the design integrates pollinator-supporting elements like shelters, burrow sites, and Fragaria (wild strawberry) for nourishment. The selection of plants – particularly those in the ultraviolet colour spectrum, like Eremurus robustus (giant desert candle), alliums and lupins – is intended to attract pollinators, complemented by visual interest from Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ear), Hakonechloa (Japanese forest grass) and Heuchera (coral bells). The hexagonal structure offers a pollinator-centric view, accentuating colours that appeal to them. Notably, the design accounts for nocturnal pollination, leveraging scented plants and soft lighting to attract efficient night pollinators.

Rachie’s Pretty Plants and Gardens: A Way With Words

Designed by Rachel Barber
Sponsored by Rachie’s Pretty Plants and Gardens

This border aims to raise awareness not only of people with dyslexia, but also how it feels to have the learning difficulty. Stepping stones, carved with both positive and negative ‘ambigram’ words – ones that retain meaning when viewed from a different perspective – reflect the struggle people with dyslexia have when reading. A mix of herbaceous planting in gorgeous greens, whites and purples with the odd flash of pink consist of predominantly shade-tolerant plants nestling beneath two statement Betula utilis subsp. Jacquemontii (West Himalayan birch) trees.

Small Actions, Big Impact

When planted with an array of different plants and trees, small spaces add up to make a big impact on biodiversity, our own mental health and serve to provide much-needed, pollinator-friendly green corridors throughout our cities. A reclaimed brick pathway leads to an archway mimicking the appearance of a front door, while bee posts, made from sustainably sourced, British-grown Douglas firs stand amidst loose and airy planting featuring Geums, Monarda (bee balm) and more in a warm colour palette of oranges and magentas.

Smashing Borders

Designed by Sam Dryell and Joel Loader

Rooted in the recycling and repurposing of waste materials, the space encourages visitors to smash and reuse hard surfaces, fostering free-draining gardens. Crafted from recycled materials, curved gabion walls offer habitat and structural interest, while small-but-powerful pools not only emphasise the importance of water conservation, but also enhance aesthetics and provide further habitat for wildlife. Beads of amethyst-coloured Verbena bonariensis sparkle next to Echinacea purpurea (coneflower), while Kniphofia ‘Tawny King’ (red hot poker) adds a fiery burst, softened by velveteen spires of Stachys byzantina ‘Silver Carpet’ (lamb’s ears) in a wonderful celebration of diversity, resilience and harmony.

To Have and to Hold

Designed by Emily Barden

The first same-sex wedding was held in the UK a decade ago, but elsewhere, only 35 countries of 195 around the world afford their citizens the same privilege; while in 10, same-sex relationships are not only unlawful, but punishable by death. This border is a celebration of how far gay rights have come in recent years, but also highlights how much more support is still needed by the LGBTQAI+ community. Central to the border is a Corten Steel moongate. Representative of a wedding ring, commitment and an open door to new beginnings, it is surrounded by a rainbow of planting including Echinacea ‘Eccentric’ PBR (d) (coneflower), Kniphofia uvaria (red-hot poker) and Stachys Byzantina (lamb’s ear).

Authenticity

Designed by Cara Gaffney, Kaci Purnell & Katie Bishop
Sponsored by Wyevale Nurseries

Themed around self-expression and human interconnectedness, an array of plants ranges from the robust to the refined, each chosen for their distinctive characteristics. Central to the border is an interwoven willow ring that encircles a fiery heart of Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding) and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Red Chief‘ (eulalia), representative of the unity and strength found in both diversity and living as one's authentic self. Cool, monochromatic edges featuring Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’ (Japanese Aralia) and Thalictrum Splendide White (‘Fr21034’) PBR (meadow rue) quell the fire to add depth and interest.

Barbie Says, ‘Women Can Be Anything They Want.’ (On the Shoulders of Giants)

Designed by Susan Booth

This border incorporates these themes to encourage more women to vote. Plants in this border – all commonly known by traditional girls’ names, such as Rose, Lily, Holly and Prunella – include standard roses, elevated in raised beds clad in mirror mosaic. At the border’s centre, white, green and yellow plants, including Alstroemeria Princess Yentl (‘Zapriyen’) (Princess Series) and Liriope Muscari ‘Alba’ (lily turf) reflect the colours of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, while its edge hums with Barbie (TM) Mella roses and Barbie pink lilies.

The Not-So-Great Escape AKA The Future English Landscape Garden

Designed by Alex Law

Some plants, already lurking in our borders, could pose a threat to our natural landscapes should they escape their garden context. In a study conducted earlier this year by researchers from the RHS and University of Reading, more than 250 commonly grown plants were identified as potentially invasive. Many of these, or their close botanical relatives, feature here. Hot hues of Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora ‘Carmin Brilliant’ (montbretia), Rosa rugosa (Japanese rose) and Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane) among others creep over a collapsing fence to illustrate the escape of ornamental plants from a garden setting into the wild.

The WOW Factor Garden

Designed by Alexander Wright

A multi-layered, colourful bed that creates a statement in even the smallest of spaces and with community, education and children at its heart. Taking inspiration from a passion for mountaineering, cooking and trekking around the world, the designer starts the border with a flow of Begonias surrounded by chard, foxgloves and intermingled grasses. A selection of sunset-coloured dahlias, Astilbe japonica ‘Burgundy Red’ and Allium ‘Gladiator’ build in height, drawing the eye to central pillars of honeysuckle that surround a statement Canna Tropicanna Black (‘Lon01’PBR) (canna).

Temporal Bloom Odyssey

Designed by Bayley Blyther, Ashley Woollaston and Jessica Richardson
Sponsored by Wyevale Nurseries

This border offers a captivating journey through the narrative of time and change with key features representing the past, present, and future. From weathered wood and charred metal portals symbolizing the past, to sleek, minimalist designs evoking the uncertainty of the present, each element invites reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature. Vibrant blooms and abstract textures herald the future, celebrating the resilience and potential of life in this visual ode to the ever-evolving tapestry of time.

A Gourd Time

Designed by Harry Dean with Over Allotments
Sponsored by Acorn Landscape Services, Atlantic Timber, Bluebell Cottage Nursery, Steel and Scape, Cliff Dickenson & Son

Taking inspiration from a record-breaking pumpkin grown on the designers’ allotment in the 90s, squash takes centre stage on the plot and sets the colour palette of glowing yellows, vibrant reds and smoky orange, while edible ground cover offers a different perspective. Staggered posts, protected using the Shou Sugi Ban wood-charring method, ensure the border is viewable from all sides rather than just front-on, to create a sense of place.

Nature and Modernity

Designed by Tom Pilgrim
Sponsored by Fine Art Source, Keith Pilgrim

A contemporary metal sculpture, comprised of clusters of hexagonal columns, evokes the typical hexagon pattern so prevalent in nature. Its position amid a vibrant tapestry of colourful and structural planting makes a strong statement about man-made modernity and how it can compare and contrast with the natural world. Herbaceous pollinator-friendly perennials, including Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ AGM (sneezeweed), add a wild and untamed beauty to more structural plants such as Phormium ‘Sundowner’ (v) AGM (flax lily), to reinforce the theme and bring colour, structure and interest year after year.

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.