Television gardener’s design at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2023

Food forests and an allotment border will nestle beside an Islamic paradise garden as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and BBC North West Tonight team up to produce a horticultural community hub for RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2023. 

Designed by television presenter and garden designer Lee Burkhill: the Garden Ninja, the RHS and BBC Northern Star garden will bring together five different communities joined together at the centre. 

The different groups each have their own border conveying their own distinct message, which has been stylised into garden designs by Burkhill and joined together with key blue themed garden sculptures and a custom hand-built blue chevron bench at the centre representing the North Western coast and skies.

Rochdale Mosque’s Amaani Initiative, Blackleach Allotments in Salford, Faiths 4 Change of Liverpool, Wigan and Leigh Hospice and Mysercough College Gardens, which is part of Myerscough College in Lancashire, have all worked with Burkhill on the designs, with the finished garden aiming to show how horticulture can empower local communities and bring them together.

Burkhill, a presenter on BBC One’s Garden Rescue, has designed an Islamic paradise garden border, a food forest border, a relaxing, pollen-rich perennial border, a wildlife-friendly bee border and a grow your own allotment-themed border. All showcase the work carried out by the groups in their region.

Burkhill said: “Gardening is a really diverse practice, whether that’s based on budget, style, plants or location. But it is for everyone, so this is representing all sorts of diverse gardens. 

“It’s a tricky task – trying to blend them together and showcase the best of them so that everyone gets an equal display for the design. Hopefully, we will show other new gardeners that there is a place for them, and there is a style for everyone.”

Lex Falleyn, show manager for RHS Tatton Park, said: “Our goal for RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2023 was to shine a light on local talent and community causes. We have worked closely with the Bridgewater community outreach team to identity a broad range of communities that are gardening for good. We are thrilled with the way Lee has pulled his ideas together and can’t wait to share the garden and stories with visitors in July.”

The collaboration is the latest joint project by the RHS and BBC North West Tonight for RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. Last year’s RHS and BBC North West Tonight Community Urban Garden was inspired by the new generation of urban gardeners of previous years.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park runs from 19 to 23 July. Tickets are available at www.rhs.org.uk/tatton