Katie Brown
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
My garden is called Cocoon of Hope. Hope is like a big hug, a cocoon, a reassurance everything will be ok to calm the frantic mind. The cocoon at the centre of the garden creates a feeling of enclosure and safety and the use of greens and soft planting palette is calming and optimistic to illustrate positivity for the future.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
Keep your gardening tools clean and sharp. You don’t need many tools to maintain a garden, a good pair of secateurs, a trowel and a spade should be enough for starters. For a happy garden with happy plants don’t ever use weed killer, nothing will thank you for it and choose the right plant for the right place. (I know that is more than one tip)
Describe your garden design style in three words.
I love the different moods and styles that can be created by plants. There is an amazing choice of colours, textures, shapes and styles available, and I think they are the most important thing in a garden. They create a haven for you and wildlife much more than any manmade structure can. My three words would be Plants, Wildlife, and Haven
Follow Katie: @kateabilitybrown
Gemma Gough
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
My day job is as an Activity Worker with Sight Scotland Veterans at the Linburn Centre in Wilkieston and 'Whispers of hope in the Garden’ was inspired by a poem written by one of our veterans at Linburn about his experience of sight loss. The theme of hope underpins everything we do at Linburn and I'm sure that our garden will encompass that.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
Just give it a go! Don't be afraid to try something different and don't be put off if it doesn't work - there’s always next time.
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Bright and colourful!
Follow Gemma: @gardener_delighted
Kate Martin
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
There is Always Hope. A glance around shows that Nature, where she can, is always trying to burst through, green up, regenerate into more abundance. In this, there are so many parallels to our lives and a thoughtful look can show us there is always hope of a brighter, greener future.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
If you think of something you want to try, give it a go because the plants do not read the books. On a more serious note - always make sure your ladder is securely positioned before you use it.
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Nature-friendly, relaxed, joyful
Jennifer McHardy
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
My garden is called Clarity and is an outdoor bathing garden. Every garden has that awkward, forgotten corner, alongside the shed, behind the garage, or the patch that has become a dumping ground for "just in case" items.
I like to reimagine materials and items, to show that you don’t need a huge budget to create an amazing sanctuary in your garden, just imagination and resourcefulness.
I love naturalistic pollinator-friendly planting as it creates a harmonious garden space for everyone. I have chosen plants and flowers in dusty vintage hues, reminiscent of the tones of a 1970s summer photo. I hope that my garden will inspire others to say, we could totally do that in our garden!
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
If you want a garden full of unusual plants and have patience, but a small budget, then grow them from seed.
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Maximalist, Eclectic, Vibrant
Olga Runcie
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
“Find Your Path”
I found inspiration for my garden in the rich history of Slavic fairy tales and folklore. The theme of “Hope” in Slavic fairy tales and folklore is intricately woven into the narratives, reflecting the resilience and enduring spirit of the human mind. Many Slavic tales feature protagonists who face overwhelming challenges and obstacles, often in the form of wicked witches, enchanted animals, or oppressive rulers. The journey of the hero or heroine is emblematic of hope, as they persevere despite daunting odds.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
As a psychiatrist and a sleep specialist, I can swear that Gardening is one of the best non-pharmacological remedies for improving mental health and sleep!
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Whimsical, naturalistic, enchanting
Viktoria Szilvas
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
Garden design is a new and exciting direction of my life. I enjoy designing something beautiful, pleasing to the eye, with endless opportunities and benefits. A place that encourages exploration, using your senses, being calming or vivid, a place to reflect or simply enjoy.
Name of the garden: A Rainbow of Hope
Spring is the time of renewal and love. The days are longer and warmer, full of new sights, smells and colours. My garden is nurturing the hope of being proposed by THE ONE. The backbone of the design is the arrangement of the flowers in the colours of a rainbow that symbolises hope.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
keep a garden journal (I still learn to be consistent with it)
Describe your garden design style in three words.
experimental; wildlife friendly; colourful
Follow Viktoria: @victoriasgarden_photoanddesign
Vinciane Tillemans
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
Name: 'Hope for Pollinators'
My will to contribute to help with nature recovery by creating gardens that provide food and shelter for wildlife, and in particular, pollinators. I want to show that there is hope for our insects if we decide to design/manage our gardens in a way that is good for them.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
Let nature help you, do not use any chemicals and let your garden reach a state of natural balance.
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Naturalistic, informal, harmonious
Follow Vinciane: Bee and Butterfly-Garden Design & Coaching
The Thursdays
Jo, Jenny, Tricia, Pat, Steve, Ivan, Denise, Jane, Gio and Linda
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
The name of the garden is “Rubble to Riches: a Journey to Hope”
Our group met while doing a horticultural course and we have enjoyed gardening together ever since. Our garden is inspired by what we have learnt about the way plants and wildlife, assisted by the thoughtful labour of gardeners, can, over time, regenerate and enrich the land giving hope to nature and humans alike.
What’s one gardening tip you swear by?
With 10 of us a single tip is tricky. One thing we unanimously recommend is to find a gardening group, community or course to get involved in. It’s fantastic for developing skills, getting inspired, meeting new people and your gardening will benefit! Guaranteed there will be cake!
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Nature, nurture, nutrition.
Isabel Hardman
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
My garden is The Renewal Garden, and is inspired by the ‘bings’ that surround my home in Winchburgh. These shale spoil heaps left over from the oil mining industry have been recolonised in an incredible way by nature. As a botanist, I’ve been obsessed with them since I moved to Scotland and first saw their strange coppery-pink moonscapes where orchids bloom and sand martins nest. I think they are such a story of hope, as what we see as waste can in fact be the start of a new life and era of beauty. As a new garden designer, I am keen to learn the lessons of their natural renewal for planting design.
A bit about me: I’m fairly new to garden design, and run Plot Twist Garden Design part-time alongside my work as a journalist and author, which I’ve done for 15 years now. My second book, The Natural Health Service (2020) explored many of the themes of mental renewal that gardens and nature can provide, and I will be using the research within this book as the underlying principle of the garden design.
My garden style is naturalistic, sustainable, but with strong bones! I love autumn the most for its colours and smells but really the wonder of the British climate is that nothing stays the same for very long. I’m happiest when out botanising and finding plants growing in their natural habitats, whether that’s on the streets of Glasgow or in more obviously wild locations.
Follow Isabel: @plot.twist.gardens
David G Pullar
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
The name of my garden is Reflection
Having worked with prisoners I came to see that they all carry a glimmer of hope. I saw first-hand the importance of having access to an outdoor space for an individual’s positive wellbeing and mental health. My garden is about connecting with emotions, finding peace, and drawing strength. A combination of symbolic and natural elements makes my garden a unique and meaningful space for contemplation and personal growth within the confines of prison walls.
What is your favourite season in the garden and why?
Winter has always been a special time in the garden for me, there is a loneliness which I like. I can see the bones of which the garden grows on, I like the skeletal forms of plants with the glints of frost shimmering in the low-lying sun, when you can see the notes of the birdsong on the frozen air and when the hungry robin is your only companion.
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Simple, purposeful, coherent
Follow David: @TheScottishGardener
Jack Verran
What is the name of your garden and what inspired your design?
Inspired by the natural regeneration of a woodland after a forest fire, After the Fire tells a story of recovery, resilience, and hope. The design reflects nature’s journey from destruction to renewal, showcasing the beauty of regeneration and the power of nature to heal.
What is your favourite season in the garden and why?
Autumn is my favourite time of year because the garden slows down, and you can really take it in at the end of a full season. The light softens, the air cools, and the planting takes on richer colours and textures. Seed heads, fading foliage, and seasonal shifts come to the forefront, showing how the garden naturally moves from summer’s energy into a quieter phase where the garden can renew again.
Describe your garden design style in three words.
Balanced, Layered, Living
Follow Jack: @GrangeLandscaping
