About the Garden
ONE is a contemporary design with sustainability at its core. Created for a single person, it celebrates the garden as a calm, restorative sanctuary and a creative space that nurtures both plants and personal wellbeing. Central to the design are colourful, UK-produced sustainable bricks and a reflective water pool that adds gentle sound and visual interest. Multiple areas of mixed planting introduce texture, colour, and seasonal variation, together creating a richly layered and soothing atmosphere.
Design Inspiration and Purpose
Inspired by the eight million people living alone in the UK, this garden is designed for a sustainability-minded individual who happily lives independently and loves spending time encouraging nature and nurturing their plants. The garden encourages visitors to rethink traditional approaches, showing how sustainable materials and unconventional construction can successfully shape small, meaningful domestic gardens.
Sustainability
The garden features a network of raised flower beds constructed using innovative UK-produced K-Briqs made from 95% construction waste and recycled colour pigments, assembled without conventional cement mortars. The UK-sourced natural stone and recycled scaffolding boards add texture and character, while demonstrating inventive reuse of materials. The garden also incorporates environmentally sensitive hard landscaping, sustainable drainage principles, and rainwater-friendly design, with the vast majority of surfaces being permeable.
Planting
With a predominantly green palette, the garden will be softly lifted by touches of white and pink. There is a strong focus on shade-tolerant plants that are often overlooked, and the unsung heroes of the design. Around 500 plants will create a rich, layered feel, combining statement species, including:
- Betula nigra for texture and resilience
- Mahonia ‘Charity’ for evergreen structure and winter interest
- Deutzia ‘Strawberry Fields’ for early seasonal colour
- Anemanthele lessoniana for movement
- Polypodium vulgare for evergreen softness
Sourced from a range of UK nurseries, the planting highlights the beauty, adaptability, and quiet importance of shade-loving plants within a sustainable, balanced garden.
About the Designer
Originally trained as a three-dimensional designer, Ian went on to study the History of Design at the Royal College of Art. He later retrained as a garden designer, bringing together his design expertise and love of plants, and has been creating beautiful, practical gardens for over 20 years. A fully registered member of the Society of Garden & Landscape Designers, this marks his third RHS show garden, following last year’s The Sleep in Beauty Garden, which was awarded a Silver Gilt Medal.
What are the advantages of designing a garden at the Festival?
Ian says, “Creating a show garden at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a wonderful challenge, and a great opportunity to showcase new ideas and techniques. The show visitors are friendly, encouraging and engaged, and the team at the Three Counties Showground is second to none. Having the Malvern Hills as a backdrop for our gardens is a very special added bonus.”
Built By
