Award: Gold Medal

About the garden

Location

Set in an 8 x 8 metre yard, typical of a Victorian terrace, the garden was designed to offer a tranquil escape from city life while addressing the growing challenges of urban flooding.

Design Inspiration

The designer was inspired by the calmness of traditional Japanese tea houses, aiming to create a space where water became a sensory experience. The garden also drew influence from Farum Midtpunkt Activity Park in Denmark, particularly its use of Corten steel and lush, enclosing plants that felt as though they were reclaiming the space. The monochromatic palette of greens, whites, and rust tones added to the serene atmosphere.

Purpose & Audience

The garden was ideal for urban dwellers seeking to incorporate water management solutions into small spaces without sacrificing beauty or functionality. It provided a peaceful sensory retreat, encouraging reflection and conversation while contributing to flood resilience.

Key Takeaways

• Gardens can be designed to slow the flow and make space for water, helping to mitigate flood risks.
• Thoughtful planting and design can reduce carbon emissions, save money, and protect biodiversity.
• The garden encouraged mental wellbeing, with a tea house designed for two people to sit and talk—technology-free and nature-focused.

Highlights & Features

• A large central swale collected and slowly dispersed rainwater into the ground.
• Rain chains and troughs harvested water into Corten steel containers.
• Ground screws replaced cement, and permeable surfaces were used throughout.
• The garden featured a sculptural bug hotel, log piles, and bird boxes to support urban wildlife.

Topical & Newsworthy Elements

• With 1 in 4 homes at risk of flooding, the garden demonstrated how domestic spaces can play a vital role in climate resilience.
• Gardens collectively cover more land than nature reserves in the UK, making them essential for wildlife conservation.
• The garden promoted good soil management, drought resilience, and carbon capture through organic matter and water storage.
• It showcased how raised refuges, water features, and right plant, right place horticulture can help gardens recover after flooding.

Wildlife & Biodiversity

The garden created a mosaic of habitats, supporting diverse species even in urban environments. It highlighted the importance of gardens as part of a larger ecosystem, especially during extreme weather events.

Relocation

After the festival, the garden was relocated to Coppermill School in Walthamstow, a site known for its eco-credentials. There, it addresses flooding issues, provides shade for children, and enhances local biodiversity, connecting the school grounds to the nearby Walthamstow Wetlands.

Sustainable Building Methods & Materials

The garden was constructed with minimal environmental impact in mind. Ground screws were used instead of concrete or cement wherever possible. Permeable paths and surfaces allowed water to filter naturally into the soil. A central swale managed water overflow effectively, while also creating diverse microhabitats for wildlife and plants.

Environmental Responsibility

• Environmentally Sensitive Hard Landscaping: Hard landscaping was kept to a minimum to maximize soil exposure for natural water absorption. Gravel paving laid on a permeable base allowed water to flow through easily. Corten steel tanks served as both water features and storage units, enhancing habitat opportunities.
• Resilient Planting Design: The garden featured multiple planting zones—some well-drained, others intentionally boggy. Plants were selected to suit each zone, fostering biodiversity and supporting a wide range of wildlife.
• Bog-Tolerant Planting with Soil Amendment: A designated bog area held varying amounts of water depending on rainfall. Plants here tolerated moist or periodically submerged conditions, while those higher up the swale thrived in drier soil between rain events.
• Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS): Rainwater from the tea house roof flowed down rain chains, was collected in harvesting tanks and planters, and gradually dispersed into the swale before reaching the retention pond.
• Water Features with Environmental Benefit: The garden’s water system—comprising storage tanks, a swale, and a bog garden—captured roof runoff, reducing pressure on the sewer system and helping prevent downstream flooding. Enhanced moisture retention in the soil improved absorption and reduced runoff during dry spells.

Planting

The garden featured around 300 plants, chosen for their ability to thrive in varied conditions. The monochromatic palette of whites, greens, and rust tones complemented the Corten steel elements and guided the viewer’s eye through the space.

• Plants in the swale were adapted to both wet and dry conditions.
• Plants on higher ground flourished in well-draining soil.

Edible & Edi-Mental Plants

The designer included edi-mental plants—those that are both edible and ornamental—such as:

• Wasabi
• Bronze fennel
• Alpine strawberries (used as ground cover)

These plants added both beauty and function, contributing to the garden’s ecological and sensory richness.

Plant lists were provided by the designer as a guide, based on the time of year, location, and client brief. Final plant selections depended on growing conditions and availability, and while updates were made where possible, accuracy could not be guaranteed.

Sponsorship

What does the sponsor see as the advantages of sponsoring a garden at the show? Why did they decide to get involved this year?

There are over five million homes in the UK at risk of flooding. Flood Re aim to improve the understanding of the risks of flooding, and the simple, affordable things that gardeners can do to reduce the impact. Following a successful experience at Chelsea in 2024 with ‘Flood Re: The Flood Resilient Garden’ Flood Re were keen to continue the great work they’re doing in educating homeowners and developers by demonstrating how it’s possible to mitigate flood risk on a domestic scale through water management and well thought out planting whilst being able to showcase a beautifully designed and practical garden even in the smallest of spaces.

Malvern, with its strong media presence and high visitor turnout, provides an exciting opportunity to reach a new audience, households and future developers alike by inspiring and educating them on the practical benefits of creative water management solutions.

About the designer

John Howlett comes from a long lineage of gardeners and head gardeners. He graduated with a distinction and special mention from the London College of Garden Design in July 2024. Prior to this, John earned a Fine Art degree specialising in sculpture from the Reigate School of Art and Design, and a First-Class Honours degree in Film from Derby University.

John worked as a television director for over 15 years, directing high-end dramas for the BBC, Channel 4, and others. Notable credits include EastEnders, Casualty, and Made in Chelsea. In 2023, he decided to follow his passion for sustainable design and horticulture, marking a significant career shift toward garden design.

His ‘Historical Restoration’ project—a design inspired by Arts and Crafts gardens and based on a former quarry in Oxfordshire—was nominated and shortlisted by the Society of Garden Designers in 2025.

This was John’s debut show garden for the RHS. Additionally, he has been selected to design a border at the RHS Hampton Court Show in 2025.

John says, ‘I believe a well-designed garden is something that can enhance your life through its beauty and functionality. Whether it’s an immersive natural space designed for relaxation and reflection or somewhere to explore and energise, it should be bespoke and personal to you and its environment. I have a great love for nature, sustainability and horticulture and always use a concept to bring ideas and inspirations together.’

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

John says, ‘ The chance to design a beautiful garden that also has a real potential to make a difference to people’s lives by helping manage flood risks is a great privilege. As a new graduate, it will expose people to me and my work and meeting like-minded potential collaborators has been great for future projects.’