I’ve been so looking forward to the first ever RHS show at the Badminton Estate in The Cotswolds. It’s usually time for the Hampton Court Flower Show and hence the Hampton Hack, which I’ll be doing to a lot on my perennials as soon as I get home. But, this year they’ve mixed it up and decided that Badminton will showcase the finest things in horticulture this country has to offer in July. There definitely was a buzz in the air, even with the 33 degree heat.
The media team at RHS really threw a curveball for the likes of me reporting on the show though. Usually, Monday is reserved for the press so we can photograph and film all the gardens without thousands of people around. It’s a huge privilege and one I’m truly grateful for, but I do think it’s necessary to be able to do the gardens justice without accidentally filming Janice from Milton Keynes having an egg and cress sandwich next to the Verbena Bonariensis.
This year press day was reduced to a few hours before all and sundry descended upon the gardens. Now, if everything goes according to plan, then I think it’s maybe just about possible to zoom around and get it all filmed if you’re there for the 7am start. Unfortunately, I was not.
Because the general public were able to enter from 10am I thought it was the perfect opportunity for my husband, Mr. C to come with me, let me do my three hours filming and then join me for the rest of the day. What could go wrong?
It all started the day before as we were about to leave home. I asked him to get all the luggage and bags that were on the bed and put them in the car, whilst I grabbed Missy our dog, let her have a final wee, pop and see the builders to make sure they knew the procedure for locking up after themselves, and then gradually lock up all the other doors to the annexe and the garage and place the hound in the car.
It all looked good. We dropped Missy off at her carer and had a leisurely drive to Malmesbury, where we would be staying. As we were signing in I had a sudden rush of blood to the head, realising that I hadn’t seen my man bag in the car, the one that held my battery packs for my phone, the one that held my wallet and my I.D to get into the show ground.
“Did you put my over the shoulder bag in the car?”
“No, I left that for you.”
“But, I asked if you could put all the bags in the car!”
A delightful conversation ensued involving numerous profanities, resulting in a trip to the local village to try and source a battery pack and some kind of receptacle to carry everything in. Didn’t do half bad actually. Boots had a battery and I found a rather decent leather bag for a fiver that could pass off (just about) as a male carrying device. Mr. C would give me one of his credit cards and some cash, I found a photo of my ID on my phone, so all our problems would be solved.
But, then we were taken to our room, which was very pretty, but only had one electrical socket and none next to the bed. Mr. C uses a CPAP machine to breathe at night. It needs a socket next to the bed. I also needed to plug in a hairdryer, charger and my laptop to be able to write for you today. I also needed a fridge for my mounjaro. No joy. After some toing and froing we managed to change rooms and bagged a gorgeous little loft room with views and both a fridge and sockets a plenty. Second issue solved.
On the morning of the show at around 5.30am, Mr. C declares he can’t find his phone. Not a huge issue normally, as it’s a regular occurrence, but the night before I had moved his ticket and the £16 parking permit to his device. Guess who wasn’t coming to the show? We tore the room apart trying to find that damn phone. Nada. All of this resulted in me not being ready till nearly 8am. As we’re walking to the car with one rather forlorn-looking husband, who’s now just a taxi driver, my phone pings saying that his phone is 17 metres away. Yep, it was in the courtyard where we had drinks the night before. Hoorah! Long story short, I ended up with an hour and twenty minutes to whizz around and shoot everything. So, this is a postcard from Badminton, rather than the post I had intended to write. Forgive me. There’s a moral to this story, but I’ll leave that for you to decipher.
This one’s a total freebie, but most are not, like my chilled out guide to Florence, Siena and San Gimignano coming this Sunday. Join Home and Hort full time so you don’t miss out. There’s a little discount right now too.
It’s the oldest hotel in England. The Old Bell Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1220. Today it’s a joyous eclectic mix of old world charm, with very high end interior design, antiques and treasures from around the world. I would definitely stay here again, but perhaps ask for a room with sockets. There are two restaurants and a really cool bar, lots of outside dining in pretty courtyards, views to the countryside and the local church and the most wonderful warm ambience created by the friendly staff.
If you’re looking at visiting the area, or indeed Badminton in 2028, then I would stay here. Get the best room you can afford. The food was excellent bar the crispy aromatic duck salad, which was neither crispy nor had aroma. The wine list was exceptional and the cocktails made by the lovely bar tender were out of this world. Overall, outstanding.
Ok, what I’m about to write is contentious, but it’s my newsletter, so I’m going to write it anyway. If the RHS are going to put on a show in the middle of nowhere with zero phone signal and no other parking even remotely close, then I do find it a tad opportunistic to charge the best part of £16 to be anywhere near the show ground for supposed ‘premium parking’. I later found out I didn’t need to pay at all as there was a press car park, but hey, that doesn’t help you guys! I also found out from a subscriber that she had to queue for two hours just to get to said parking. Not good enough. I get that there are teething problems, but that must be sorted before 2028 when it arrives in Badminton again.
I also am quite astonished just how many disabled people there are in this country, as that car park was enormous, right at the front and free. But seeing that you can get a badge even for ADHD now, no wonder. There, I’ve said it, any trolls out there will have a field day with that one.
The Julia Rausing Garden
This is the largest ever show garden in RHS history and was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. It celebrates the life of Julia Rausing, a British philanthropist whose work supported a wide range of charitable causes across the UK, raising over £400 million for a multitude of projects.
This absolutely stunning garden is placed at the head of the lake, with views back towards Badminton House. It’s a wildlife meadow dotted with Tilia × europaea (common lime), which then surrounds a more intimate drought-tolerant perennial garden, full of just about every flower and a colour palette I adore of blues, mauves and whites, with the most peaceful of seating areas at its epicenter. Included amongst these blooms is the largest low-lying domes of Taxus Baccata I’ve ever seen, some 8 or 9 feet across.
Everyone was allowed to walk in and around this garden. The garden invites visitors to enjoy the beauty of the landscape and consider its message about supporting others. It truly was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed at an RHS show.
The Archers 75th Anniversary Garden
I’ve grown to realise that any garden that has the name of Jo Thompson attached to it is going to be absolutely perfect. Not in a formal, rigid sense, far from it, everything she creates is thought about in minute detail, the sign of a true master at work, but the result is something relaxed, romantic, and infinitely enjoyable. She is brilliant at tricking the visitor into thinking that everything is just serendipitous, a happy accident. Something self-seeded there, ooh look the geraniums have got away with themselves over there. But, in reality it is all carefully planned by her and her brilliant team of stylists and planters to look like the garden has been there for decades instead of three weeks. One day I would love to offer up my help as a volunteer just to learn from her brilliance, plus she’s a hoot.
I knew nothing about The Archers before I saw this garden, I’m a heathen! I purposefully stopped myself from any research, or listening to a single episode because I wanted her garden to tell the story for me. If you are visiting Badminton then you will be in awe my friends, and you can walk around this garden too. From the village noticeboard to a toy tractor originally given to the late John Archer, a charachter in the show, the attention to detail is second to none.
‘The garden responds to a recent storyline in which a sewage spill flooded Bridge Farm, highlighting the environmental challenges facing modern farming communities while offering a hopeful vision of recovery and stewardship of the land.’
Jo and her team have created working areas within the garden celebrating traditional farm life skills such as vegetable growing, cheese-making, and small-scale food production surrounded by ornamental planting. It’s the most naturalistic of spaces and even included two goats chomping away at the grass. You will be utterly enthralled. Here’s a little video to bring it to life. Apologies for the sunlight. It should have been shot early afternoon, but with the time constraints it is what it is:
Macmillan Cancer Support: The Nascent Shade Garden
Supporting any cancer charity is very close to my heart, but the work that Macmillan does is quite extraordinary, often providing the only real support for patients and their families here in the U.K.
‘This ornamental woodland garden features a small group of birch trees, interspersed with lime and stone sculptures and brass details. At first, these elements are intentionally spaced unevenly, reflecting the gaps and inequalities people experience in cancer care today. As visitors move through the garden, the spaces gradually close and the layout becomes more even. This transition symbolises Macmillan’s mission to close the gap between the best and worst cancer experiences, so everyone can get the care they need, wherever they live.’
I walked this garden and physically felt those gaps closing and the hope building as I reached the bench, central pool and resting place. I chatted with the designer Elle Arnett, who brought the story to life, telling me about the reason for the Silver birch: it’s shedding of brownish bark, gradually becoming brighter and whiter as the years go by, a metaphor for renewal and rebirth.
‘Inspired by the idea that society thrives when we plant trees for future generations, the garden highlights the lasting impact of gifts in wills. Visitors are invited to place a seed token into the water feature as a quiet moment of reflection and hope. Just as a tree provides shade for years to come, gifts in wills help Macmillan do whatever it takes to support everyone living with cancer today and transform cancer care for those diagnosed in the future.’
The Cricket Pavilion Garden
I knew I was going to love this garden and I knew it would win gold. It’s a take on a traditional cricket pavilion in a beautifully tended lawn, surrounded by cottage garden planting. It’s quintessentially English and based on the cricket ground of Old Heathfield, a picturesque village in East Sussex where the designer Stephen Moody lives.
The plants along the lawn have been sown or propagated from cuttings taken during gardening sessions at the local cricket pavilion. Nearby, two willow sculptures represent a batsman and a woman with a child on a bench.
Finding Hope
I know we’re supposed to think deeply about these gardens, but sometimes I actually don’t want to know in advance what they represent. I just want to decide whether I like them or not, and whether they speak to me at all.
This one really did. I purposefully made sure I didn’t read the blurb, just: did I like it? Did I want to jump over the rope and explore it? Yes!
After soaking it up I read the story behind it: ‘The garden is structured around 16 squares, representing the daily number of lives lost to suicide. Intended as a public space for people to find peace, space and company, this contemplative sanctuary in pastel shades champions simplicity and order, giving visitors a sense of the charity CALM’s work.’
Did it do that for me? I’m not sure. Did I love the planting, the geometric shapes and the over-arching sense of calm and peace? Most definitely, so I suppose they hit the mark.
The character and heritage materials found across the Cotswolds lend this space a timeless feel. Beautifully constructed dry-stone walls, reclaimed stone and an iron gazebo highlight the importance of crafted features in historic gardens, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. The naturalistic planting echoes Gertrude Jekyll’s style.
All three of these designers are women, which is great to see. But, this one really caught my eye.
A Space for Her
Designed by Sophie Sturgeon, the garden explores the ‘quiet journey of building confidence’ in a world where many girls and young women face pressure from social media and unrealistic expectations.
Through soft planting, trees and carefully guided sightlines, the garden encourages people to slow down, reconnect with themselves and discover how moments in nature can nurture confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging. I found it very beautiful and contemplative.
I really love the idea of these small spaces encouraging new designers to give it a go, you never know what it could lead to and everyone has to start somewhere. Many of these were superb, but one really melted my butter:
The Silverhand Estate: The Butterfly Garden designed by Emma Atkinson is areal triumph and highlights the plight of declining the butterfly population scrips the UK.
This garden delivers a clear message: the future of these fragile species doesn’t require drastic action, but can be achieved through small, thoughtful everyday choices. Every element in this border is chosen to give butterflies what they need to thrive: nectar-rich plants for adult specimens, host plants for caterpillars and sheltered spaces that offer protection from predators and harsh weather.
Ok, that’s it from me. It’s 11.35pm and I’m knackered, although that’s a very early finish compared to Chelsea. Overall I think the RHS pulled off a blinder with Badminton, a really great show and one they should be proud of. There were a few issues, like the parking, and I actually found the Floral Pavillion a little underwhelming, but perhaps that’s because of how awe-inspiring Chelsea was this year. If you’re going then you’ll love it. If you haven’t booked yet, then what are you waiting for?
Thank you all so much for all your support. I’m honoured to have you as paid members. Do leave a heart 🩷, a restack 🔄 and a comment 💬 if you have a moment.
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