Mark designs the RHS-BBC Morning Live Budget-friendly Feature Garden for Hampton Court 2023
Mark joins forces with his BBC Morning Live family and the RHS to create the RHS-BBC Morning Live Budget-friendly Feature Garden at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2023.
RHS-BBC Morning Live Budget-friendly Feature Garden, RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2023, Mark Lane, Mark Lane Designs Ltd
Mark says:
With the cost-of-living crisis and many of us having difficulties paying bills and paying for food, the garden can be the last place to spend any money. With the help of my BBC Morning Live family and the RHS we have put together 22 gardening hacks/tips, which have appeared on the Show, and which will be displayed on handmade tables.
All the wood in the garden, even the fake BBC Morning Live set, the potting bench and compost bins is either recycled wood from old pallets or is wood found in the bargain corner of DIY stores or the end of product lines.
Planting is a mix of drought-tolerant plants and those easy-to-find in most nurseries and garden centres, which can even be propagated from for free to increase stock for your own garden or for giving as gifts to friends and family.
The collection of pots at the front of the garden, are predominantly those found in the rescue bay, so they may not be perfect, but when planted up any faults will not be seen. It’s important to show that even if you don’t have a lot of space, a collection of pots filled with fruits, such as strawberries, lemon and blueberries, a mix of vegetables and ornamentals can help our pollinators and contribute to biodiversity.
Hard-landscaping has been kept to a minimum and most of the garden is of a ‘no-dig construction’, showing that you don’t need to go to the expense of buying cement or digging deep to lay costly foundations.
Mark says:
It has not been easy finding plants in flower owing to the cold snap that we have had across the UK, but I very much hope that visitors will still be blown away by the choice of plants on display, especially the double-U-shaped espaliered fruit trees, showing that you don’t need a lot of space to create your own mini-orchard.
On proud display are also some double-U-shaped espaliered fruit trees. While these are, of course, a considered purchase for any gardener, it does show that even in a small space you can create your very own mini-orchard. Plants include: Malus domestica ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, Pyrus communis ‘Beurre Hardy’ and Prunus domestica ‘President’. There’s even a gorgeous grape, Vitis vinifera ‘Chasselas de Moissac’.
At the back of the garden is a large wall, perfect for those Instagram moments, which depicts the BBC Morning Live mug.
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