Award: Bronze Medal

About the garden

The garden was a space for reflection and mindful retreat. Using ancient crafting techniques and inspired by the landscape surrounding the Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre Hospice garden, St Godwald’s Retreat transported visitors to a space removed from modern life.

Within the wattle and daub gazebo sat a wind telephone—a telephone connected to nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It offered an opportunity to speak with a loved one who had passed, or a chance to say words left unspoken, the wind carrying these words out through the stone portal and into the world beyond.

A memory tree from the Hospice carried the names and stories of loved ones, with a mindful labyrinth tracing its way underneath, formed with scented herbs. Within the wildflower glade beyond, there was a space for meditation—or simply to lie and be surrounded by the sounds of nature.

The garden was punctuated by textured standing stones, inspired by the prehistoric landscape of Brittany that St Godwald knew centuries ago.

Design Inspiration

Inspired by the historic life of St Godwald and the landscape surrounding the Hospice, the garden blends ancient techniques with modern mindfulness.

Garden Purpose

The garden was designed for Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre in Bromsgrove. It was relocated to their grounds later in 2025 for patients, friends, and families to use.

Key Themes & Highlights

• Wind Telephone: A Japanese-inspired concept housed in a wattle and daub gazebo, offering a space to speak unspoken words to loved ones who have passed.
• Memory Tree & Labyrinth: Names and stories of loved ones are held in a tree above a scented herb labyrinth, encouraging reflection and healing.
• Wildflower Glade: A tranquil space for meditation or simply lying among nature’s sounds.
• Standing Stones: Textured stones echo the prehistoric landscapes of Brittany.

Sustainability Focus

• Materials: No newly-created metal (except nails); reclaimed stone; recycled aggregates; UK-grown timber from managed woodlands.
• Construction: Hazel wattle and daub gazebo with lime render and yellow ochre pigment.
• Water Management: Rainwater harvesting from the gazebo roof.
• Pathways: Crushed whelk shells from Wales—a fishing by-product—used as gravel and mulch.
• Planting: Over 1,000 plants including native species and historically medicinal herbs like lungwort, thyme, and chamomile. Planting is resilient, drought-tolerant, and designed for year-round interest.

Environmental Message

The garden encourages visitors to consider low-impact materials and native planting in their own gardens, showing that ancient techniques can reduce carbon footprints and support biodiversity.

Topical Relevance

The garden opens conversations around death, hospice care, and sustainable garden design, highlighting how thoughtful landscaping can support emotional wellbeing and environmental responsibility.

About the Charity

The Hospice not only looks after people with life-limiting illnesses, but also adults and children facing bereavement. The Hospice garden is always open for anybody to come and sit, taking time to remember their loved ones. By incorporating the ‘wind telephone’ concept, we are creating a place of peace where the phone can be used by individuals to reflect and talk to their loved ones who have sadly died. We hope the garden will help raise awareness of the vital work Primrose Hospice does across North East Worcestershire.

About the designer

Born and raised in Birmingham, Marc Harbourne-Bessant developed an awareness of the importance of staying outdoors while working at a retreat centre. There, he learned valuable skills from the gardeners and volunteers that looked after the grounds. After that experience, he decided to start a career in garden design and landscaping and in 2020 he co-founded F.B & Sons, Lawns and Landscapes with his husband Darryl, brother-in-law Lee and sister-in-law Lisa. The RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2025 marks Marc’s first appearance at an RHS Show.

What are the advantages of designing a garden at the show?

Marc says, “When I design a garden, I always try to include reclaimed and recycled materials wherever possible, as well as scented and textural plants to stimulate all of our senses. Creating and looking after gardens gives me a great sense of achievement, especially when I see the client’s health and wellbeing improve. With this show garden, I’ll also create a legacy for Primrose Hospice.”