A garden made for curiosity
A Garden Between Stories began with a simple idea: that even a small garden can hold a big sense of possibility.
We wanted to create a space where memory, imagination and everyday family life could overlap. A garden that felt as though it had always been there, quietly inviting children and adults alike to wander, notice and make up their own stories.
The design took visitors on a journey between two connected planting worlds. One side was rich, generous and full to the brim: a romantic cottage-garden mix of perennials, grasses and shrubs. The other became softer and more open, shifting into a woodland-inspired space with the quieter textures and atmosphere of a forest floor.
At the heart of the garden sat a specimen tree, a simple bench and a circular clearing of wildflowers: a place to pause, look around and imagine what might happen next.
Making “natural” look natural
Of course, creating a garden that feels as though it has evolved over years is not quite as effortless as it looks.
We wanted every part of the border to feel
natural, settled and a little bit discovered rather than designed. That meant a huge amount of thought — and quite a lot of foraging.
Henry spent many hours gathering old logs, rocks, fallen leaves and woodland-floor textures to help give the garden its sense of age and place. He also transformed an old bird table into a bug hotel, giving the garden another small, wildlife-friendly detail to explore.
The wildflower lawn was another challenge. It needed to look established and natural from the moment the show opened, but had to be created and transported from scratch. We built special semi-circular wooden containers to grow the lawn in before carefully moving it to the NEC as part of the final installation.
48 hours, one enormous tree and a pond
Then came build-up.
We had just 48 hours to install the entire garden — including a substantial specimen tree in a 150-litre pot, a wildlife-friendly pond built from scratch, the wildflower lawn, all the planting, the timber elements and the many smaller details that made the garden feel alive.
There were plenty of moments when the clock felt very loud. But the team were brilliant: calm, practical and completely committed to getting every part right. With a huge collective effort, we met the deadline and stood back to see the garden take shape.
That moment — when the planting had settled, the tree was in place and the woodland floor began to feel properly atmospheric — was one we will not forget.
Judging day
The following day, five judges arrived to talk through the garden and assess every aspect of it. It was a thoughtful, detailed process — and, we will admit, quite intense.
We were hugely pleased with what we had created, but medal levels range from Bronze through to Platinum, so we genuinely did not know what to expect.
Later that day, we headed to the awards ceremony in the Floral Marquee. When A Garden Between Stories was announced as a Platinum Medal winner, there was a brief moment of complete disbelief.
Then came the smiles, the hugs and, for some of us, a few emotional tears.
It was a wonderful recognition of the hard work, creativity and care that had gone into the garden.
Sharing the garden
After a quiet evening of celebrations, the show opened to the public for four days.
This was one of the loveliest parts of the whole experience. Visitors spent time looking closely at the planting, discovering the pond, talking about the woodland textures and sharing their own memories of family gardens. The garden seemed to do exactly what we had hoped: encourage curiosity, conversation and a little pause in the middle of a busy show.
We were so grateful for the many kind comments, questions and conversations. Seeing people connect with the space made every early start, long build day and last-minute adjustment worthwhile.
A proud moment for Dig Studio
Winning Platinum is a huge moment for us, but more than that, this garden was a chance to show what Dig Studio is about.
We believe gardens should not simply look good in photographs. They should feel good to be in. They should be practical, personal, full of life and shaped around the people who use them.
A Garden Between Stories brought together everything we love about garden design: strong planting, thoughtful use of space, natural materials, wildlife-friendly details and a sense of imagination.
A huge thank you to Fabienne, Jenny and the Dig Studio team and everyone who helped make it happen. We could not be prouder. Special thanks also for the stunning bench created by Somerset Maitland Robinson as well as Grasslands for the wild turf and our plant suppliers – North Hill nurseries, Chichester Trees and Shrubs and Provender Nurseries.
