https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/blog daily 0.75 2026-08-11 https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/blog/rhs-gold-medal-show-garden monthly 0.5 2026-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/f6044fab-36d0-4491-8f34-e19a1b366426/IMG-20260710-WA0038.jpg BLOG - Show Garden Success at RHS BADMINTON - Show gardens are a wonderfully wild business. Show gardens are a wonderfully wild business. They take a small army of sponsors, suppliers, growers, landscapers, planting specialists, consultants, coordinators and designers, all pulling together with one shared goal: to create the very best show garden possible. Months, sometimes years, of planning, refining and preparing all come down to a fleeting window on the showground. Add a record breaking heatwave into the mix, and the endurance required from everyone on site reaches another level entirely. But when the dust settles and the RHS judging is complete, seeing that hard work recognised makes every single minute worthwhile. I'm beyond thrilled to share that Macmillan Cancer Support's The Nascent Shade Garden at the inaugural RHS Badminton in the Cotswolds received: RHS Gold Medal People's Choice Award Best Construction Award Winning Best Construction after 12 days of relentless heat is an incredible testament to the skill, determination and resilience of the team at Artisan Landscapes. The fact that they were all standing - and somehow still smiling - at the end of it is what made it truly incredible. Seeing that precision hard landscaping come together with the artistry, rich plant combinations, and remarkable plant health achieved in equally challenging conditions - thanks in to our wonderful and brilliant planting team led by Bryony and Caleb, you all were incredible and delivered pure magic. To then receive an RHS Gold Medal and the People's Choice Award is something we'll never forget. Knowing that so many visitors connected with Macmillan's message and chose to vote for this garden makes all the hard work even more meaningful. This garden will always hold a special place in my heart. As a landscape designer, being able to share Macmillan’s mission in a way that truly resonated with so many people is a privilege. To then see that vision recognised in such an extraordinary way is something I will cherish forever. A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible. Show gardens really are a team effort, and this one was something very special. Warmest Elle (an incredibly proud RHS Gold Medal garden designer) x https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/d39944a5-5e26-4837-a1e6-18d71b6af044/PXL_20260708_112327912.jpg BLOG - Show Garden Success at RHS BADMINTON - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/7e6ad50f-af53-4ee8-8d53-974a647d84fe/PXL_20260708_154602940.jpg BLOG - Show Garden Success at RHS BADMINTON - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/dbb35798-cbba-4c48-b9cb-2a17ace21c25/PXL_20260707_150950630.MP.jpg BLOG - Show Garden Success at RHS BADMINTON - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/c854b527-ac1d-466d-b59f-90a636dcff4f/IMG-20260710-WA0027.jpg BLOG - Show Garden Success at RHS BADMINTON - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/blog/nascent-shade-idea monthly 0.5 2026-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/9deb4abe-a7bb-4ce4-bf7f-a5b69e3bf3f1/PRESS+RELEASE+IMAGE.jpg BLOG - The Concept Behind the Garden - How to design an Award Winning RHS Show Garden How do you design a garden that tells a story and aims to raise awareness for a national charity? When I first sat down to design the Macmillan Cancer Support: The Nascent Shade Garden, this was the central question. Creating a beautiful show garden is one thing, but translating a vital, real-world mission into a physical landscape requires careful consideration. In this blog, I explore my process. Start with the Brief First, you identify the brief. Macmillan’s brief was to raise awareness about legacy gifts (gifts left in wills) and how they help support the vital work they do here in the UK for people facing cancer. Before putting pen to paper, I wanted to understand Macmillan's key services and main mission, which is to make cancer care fairer in the UK by reducing the disparities that currently exist. Many people do not receive the care they need simply because of their background or where they live. I knew immediately that I wanted to weave this mission into the garden, and that the garden would be stronger for it. This way, I would not just be highlighting the funding that comes from legacy gifts, but visually explaining why that funding is so deeply important. Macmillan also wanted a walk-through space, so leaning into this, I set out to create a transitional space that shows a physical journey: moving from a place where there is disparity and inequality, toward an ultimate goal of equal, even care. Disparity can be shown creatively in lots of different ways, but my real "spark" moment happened when I remembered an old proverb: "A society grows strong when its people plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit." To me, this proverb perfectly encapsulates the idea of legacy gifts. It speaks to looking beyond today and providing for future generations. It also gave me my key design element: trees. How could I weave these three things together: legacy, the proverb, and disparity? I focused on birch trees. Birch trees have incredible natural variations and contrasts in their bark patterns. These variations spoke to me directly about the current variations and inequalities in cancer care in the UK. From there, the whole concept started to come together. I created a transitional garden with features inspired by birch trees. Once the core story was anchored, we went through several iterations, refining the layout, the features, and the feelings I wanted to evoke, to ensure that every step through the garden reflected Macmillan's mission to close the gap in care. Elle x https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/blog/nascent-shade-texture monthly 0.5 2026-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/dc5a8f29-f5d1-4cf6-85d3-3fb7cfd29b95/PXL_20260708_154210872.MP%7E2.jpg BLOG - Texture-Rich Plants from The Nascent Shade Garden at RHS Badminton - Embracing the Shade: My Top 5 Texture-Rich Plants from RHS Badminton I have just returned from the RHS Badminton Flower Show, where I had the absolute privilege of designing and exhibiting the award winning Nascent Shade Garden for Macmillan Cancer Support, in collaboration with the wonderful team from Artisan Landscapes. The garden was inspired by the ancient proverb, "A society grows great when its people plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit." At the heart of the design were several grand birch trees, which cast gorgeous, dappled shadows across the entire garden. Unsurprisingly, the garden was a celebration of plants that thrive in partial shade, which the RHS defines as receiving roughly 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. When designing the planting scheme, I really wanted to champion these conditions. There is a common misconception that shade gardening is dull or limited, but I wanted to show that partial shade can be deeply calming, sophisticated, and anything but boring. By focusing on lush foliage and contrasting forms, you can create a sanctuary that feels alive and tactile. Here are my top 5 plant choices from the garden, selected specifically for their incredible foliage, structure, and texture: 1. Hakonechloa macra The ultimate designer’s grass. Its soft, bright wide green blades cascade, bringing gentle movement, rustling sound, and an almost luminous quality to dappled shade. 2. Dryopteris filix-mas Essential for architectural height and structure. Its upright, feathery fronds bring a classic woodland texture that catches the light and adds a brilliant, lush backdrop for softer foliage. 3. Cenolophium denudatum Valued for its delicate, dark green, finely divided foliage. Its airy umbels float gracefully above the lower planting, weaving the scheme together with soft, cloud-like texture. 4. Cyrtomium fortunei Chosen for its striking, leathery fronds that look almost like holly leaves. It provides a fantastic contrast to the softer ferns, adding a bold, sculptural element to the planting scheme. 5. Polygonatum verticillatum A wonderfully delicate plant with elegant, arching stems and narrow leaves arranged in neat whorls. It adds height, and an airy, textural lightness to any planting. Gardening in shade isn't about working around a limitation, it's about leaning into the quiet, textural beauty that these cool spots allow us to create. Elle x https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/de18cec6-4f75-45f4-86d7-9c18a13d9694/Hakonechloa+marca.png BLOG - Texture-Rich Plants from The Nascent Shade Garden at RHS Badminton - Make it stand out Hakonechloa macra https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/ad0ea600-01d9-4cce-9ee3-82f56d28f6bd/Dryopteris+filix-mas.jpg BLOG - Texture-Rich Plants from The Nascent Shade Garden at RHS Badminton - Make it stand out Dryopteris filix-mas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/004e2980-12b1-4a90-a14e-36367256c89e/PXL_20260711_151715880.jpg BLOG - Texture-Rich Plants from The Nascent Shade Garden at RHS Badminton - Make it stand out Cenolophium denudatum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/f16c67b3-8a56-40f9-9db4-ab86c41101c8/Cyrtomium+fortunei.webp BLOG - Texture-Rich Plants from The Nascent Shade Garden at RHS Badminton - Make it stand out Cyrtomium fortunei https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/e075ee48-2d40-467b-8ac1-1eec2cffcd7d/Polygonatum+verticillatum.jpg BLOG - Texture-Rich Plants from The Nascent Shade Garden at RHS Badminton - Make it stand out Polygonatum verticillatum https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/blog/r5jf8nhwteml5asu3sdg85rbbsxhhb monthly 0.5 2026-07-30 https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/blog/gardenesque-field-edge monthly 0.5 2026-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/8fc6ef99-1a61-45c6-92d1-5b6bbbb7d7ae/PXL_20260710_063941132_exported_0.jpg BLOG - My Top 5 Plant picks for Gardenesque - From the field edge I was delighted to be asked by Gardenesque if I would help design the planting scheme to showcase their wonderful pots and containers at RHS Badminton last month. Taking inspiration from the surrounding landscape, I focused on the textures and soft tones of local field edges to guide my plant selections. Here are my top 5 picks and the reasons I chose them: 1. David Austin’s Rosa 'Kew Gardens' This rose is simply gorgeous. With its blush-cream flowers produced in great abundance, its single blooms are fantastic for pollinators while bringing a relaxed, wild-rose feel. It makes an exceptional choice for a pot or container because it is virtually thornless, meaning zero risk of scratches if placed next to a seating area! 2. Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) A gorgeous ornamental grass for container planting, Stipa tenuissima adds gentle movement and delicate texture. It naturally mingles around companion plants, providing the perfect soft foil for bolder flowers. Its warm, oaty tones are a wonderful nod to late-summer grassy field edges. 3. Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' With its crisp white petals and glowing honey-orange cones, 'White Swan' was chosen for its a clean, elegant daisy like flower. It holds its head high above the surrounding foliage, attracting bees and hoverflies through summer while leaving stylish seedheads that look striking well into autumn. 4. Salvia 'African Skies' A captivating salvia with soft, sky-blue blooms held on slender stems. It offers an exceptionally long flowering period, aromatic foliage, and an airy structure that brings a luminous, tranquil feel to a naturalistic scheme. 5. Scabiosa 'Flutter Rose Pink' (Pincushion Flower) Rounding out the top five is this delightful pincushion flower. With soft pink blooms bobbling dance-like on slender, wiry stems, it adds a touch of playful lightness and echoes the wild scabious you see scattered along sunny field edges. Elle x https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/2f9e9c4a-0d10-4fb4-943c-4c64837888b9/Rosa+%27Kew+Gardens%27.png BLOG - My Top 5 Plant picks for Gardenesque - Make it stand out David Austin’s Kew Gardens Rose https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/7e225615-d44d-4ada-818e-82a396a9244c/Stipa+Tenu.png BLOG - My Top 5 Plant picks for Gardenesque - Make it stand out Stipa tenuissima https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/72c94d4e-83f9-4688-94f7-ec9581f13ee6/Echinacea+Purpure+White+Swan.png BLOG - My Top 5 Plant picks for Gardenesque - Make it stand out Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/de8b625e-d8c3-4c42-a3bc-6e1134baa631/Salvia+%27African+Sky%27.png BLOG - My Top 5 Plant picks for Gardenesque - Make it stand out Salvia 'African Skies' https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/8f4aac1d-2ff1-434c-aed5-e969f4a7fcaa/Scabiosa+columbaria+%27Flutter+Rose+Pink%27.png BLOG - My Top 5 Plant picks for Gardenesque - Make it stand out Scabiosa 'Flutter Rose Pink' https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/home daily 1.0 2026-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/1988e459-a15b-400a-a086-42801ea0ac45/Image-2.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/e4196e2a-115f-44ec-a0fe-08af977fb932/R5_22+-+Photo.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/ebc5de9e-d650-4b7c-aba4-b93975ee7387/R3_24+-+Photo.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/0fe3ed7c-cd8c-467c-9cf2-1e15e8f58060/R5_23+-+Photo.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/df053463-3b55-42d7-a1cd-23bca6460a36/JI_070726_RHSBadminton_063.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/fccf4f11-e556-4c18-b85d-97ea92d6efe8/V1+EVE_8+-+Photo+%28copy%29.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/61868f9f-3695-4289-a3a8-d3c34ea830f4/C111.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/55a049cd-a6fb-44fa-9e03-c27bc109c5ae/SM_19+-+Photo.jpg HOME https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/2cd4bbb2-5522-4e21-b9c6-5cb4a819c705/RHS+Badminton+26+-+Gold.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/055d0fae-f4ab-400f-a68d-8b2f55e5552c/JI_070726_RHSBadminton_037.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/2cd4bbb2-5522-4e21-b9c6-5cb4a819c705/RHS+Badminton+26+-+Gold.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/5380fe63-f2f6-41f5-9edf-ed104d8fd3e2/RHS+Badminton+26+-+ShowGarden.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/06ac721e-614a-4ee9-aeae-cd8e7930c70a/RHS+Badminton+26+-+BestConstructionShowGarden.png https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2026-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/b9b7af4a-f713-4acc-830a-1e469986a3e4/PXL_20260525_075914076.jpg https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/faq daily 0.75 2026-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/df053463-3b55-42d7-a1cd-23bca6460a36/JI_070726_RHSBadminton_063.jpg https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/services daily 0.75 2026-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/7e225615-d44d-4ada-818e-82a396a9244c/Stipa+Tenu.png SERVICES https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/garden-designer-cheltenham daily 0.75 2026-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/2b6c14c5-6727-46a1-9159-784857df2d54/SM+RE+CON.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/2dbdb6e9-0a4e-4763-958a-1a91fa0ad2d3/V1+EVE_11+-+Photo+%28copy%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/b9b7af4a-f713-4acc-830a-1e469986a3e4/PXL_20260525_075914076.jpg https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2026-08-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/83895242-5272-46ae-94a1-a0a3b5f79d29/Cheltenham+family+garden+design.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/45d9316e-2b30-45fb-af03-50c375ec52b8/Screenshot+2026-06-19+162844.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/2b6c14c5-6727-46a1-9159-784857df2d54/SM+RE+CON.jpg https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/rhs-badminton-2026 daily 0.75 2026-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d449e985b105d00015ab0c2/8b96ad6c-295c-4cda-8b48-6d950fa25227/PXL_20260708_164401407.jpg https://www.elle-arnett.co.uk/store daily 0.75