About the Garden
Lifted by Birds is a peaceful, nature‑rich garden designed to support British birdlife. It brings together habitats like meadow edges, woodland areas, wetlands, stone features and quiet sheltered spots. These spaces give birds places to feed, nest, rest and move safely through the garden. Visitors can watch birds in their natural behaviour, from blackbirds searching the ground to blue tits finding insects in branches or wrens stopping for water. The garden is set out like a rural cottage landscape and offers a calming place to slow down, notice wildlife and reconnect with nature.
Design Inspiration and Purpose
The design began with a simple moment: seeing a barn owl glide through an old farm building. That still, magical sight stayed with the designers and shaped the mood of the garden. Later, meeting an ornithologist brought scientific insight that strengthened the idea. The team were also inspired by the Peak District, open meadows, old barns and the way birds move across the land. Their purpose is to show how an ordinary garden can support wildlife by using layered planting, varied habitats and thoughtful design. The garden invites visitors to pause, look closely and feel part of the natural world around them.
Sustainability
Sustainability is built into every part of the garden. Materials such as local stone, reclaimed timber and natural substrates help keep the environmental impact low. A restored stone structure acts like a small version of a traditional barn, providing safe nesting spaces and quiet viewing points for people.
After the festival, the garden will be moved to a public or school site so more people can learn about wildlife gardening and bird conservation. Water use is carefully managed through drought‑tolerant plants, bog and pond areas and permeable surfaces. The aim is to show how even a small garden can apply the same principles used in large conservation projects.
Planting
The planting is designed first and foremost for birds. Trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials offer food, shelter and nesting material all year round. The mix includes native species, meadow plants and hardy varieties chosen for both beauty and ecological value.
Key plants include:
- Malus sylvestris – early blossom for insects, fruit for birds
- Sorbus aucuparia – heavy berry crops in autumn
- Deschampsia cespitosa – structure, nesting material, insect support
- Silene flos‑cuculi – attracts insects that form the base of the food chain
- Geranium sanguineum – reliable, pollinator‑friendly, tough perennial
Other plants like Viburnum opulus and meadow species add seasonal interest and important winter food. Plants come from Pictorial Meadows and Celtic Wildflowers, suppliers chosen for their strong ecological focus. The garden contains more than 3,750 individual plants, creating a rich, layered habitat.
About the Designers
Tom Saunders – Skylark Garden Design
Tom creates gardens that tell stories through atmosphere, texture and movement. His past show gardens at RHS Tatton and BBC Gardeners’ World Live have won multiple medals. His work in South American conservation strongly influences his habitat‑led design style.
Jon Pilling – The Intrinsic Link
Jon trained as a landscape architect his designs focus on people, place and biodiversity. His work brings together natural processes, thoughtful journeys through a garden and strong ecological planting. He has an award from the Landscape Institute Yorkshire & Humber and an RHS medal.
Dr Amie Wheeldon – Bud & Bird Gardens
Amie is an ornithologist specialising in bird behaviour and habitat. Her scientific background brings accuracy and ecological depth to the project. She is now building a career in horticulture, combining conservation and practical garden design.
What are the advantages of designing a garden at the Festival?
Creating a show garden gives the designers a chance to demonstrate their ecological approach in a fully built, real‑life landscape. It allows visitors to see how thoughtful planting and habitat creation can directly support wildlife. The show also strengthens their work with organisations such as the British Trust for Ornithology and highlights the importance of conservation‑focused garden design.
Most importantly, it gives them the opportunity to inspire others, showing that any garden, big or small, can become a welcoming space for birds and nature by using simple, sustainable choices.
Sponsors
The partnership with the BTO and Pictorial Meadows aligns seamlessly with the show garden’s identity as a true bird haven.
The BTO brings the scientific backbone-data on bird behaviour, habitat needs, and long‑term population trends-ensuring every design choice genuinely supports nesting, feeding, and sheltering species. Pictorial Meadows complements this by providing a designed ecology that delivers both beauty and biodiversity, offering seed‑rich planting, insect abundance, and seasonal structure that birds rely on.
Together, these partnerships root the garden in both science and artistry, proving that a space can be visually captivating while Functioning as a thriving, research‑informed sanctuary for wildlife.
Dr Wheeldon and The BTO bring the scientific backbone-data from the Garden Birdwatch Scheme GBW https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/gbw on bird behaviour, habitat needs, and long‑term population trends- links the garden concept with research, ensuring every design choice genuinely supports nesting, feeding, and sheltering species.
Protect the Andes – Large‑scale conservation projects teach us that ecosystems recover fastest when habitats are connected, diverse, and allowed to function as living systems rather than isolated pockets of green. They show how coordinated action-across landscapes, communities, and seasons-creates the conditions birds need to return, breed, and thrive. By translating these principles into the garden, we shape a space where thoughtful planting, layered habitats, and ecological design mirror the successes of wider conservation work on a smaller, more intimate scale.
