Between 16-19 June 2022, Marshalls are proud to play a part in BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the Birmingham NEC. The event is dedicated to gardening enthusiasts, landscape designers, installers and homeowners and features Gardeners’ World presenters, shopping, live entertainment and plenty of outdoor inspiration! Not only do we have our very own show garden at the event, we have also donated products to other show gardens and have our own trade stand where we share inspiration, ideas and expert advice with visitors.
Our 2022 show garden, The Marshalls Sustainability Garden, celebrates 100 years of the BBC and showcases high-quality, British-made products. It’s a walkthrough design that encourages consideration of the climate impact when choosing what to buy and use in garden spaces, with a nod to using bespoke products with higher carbon footprints as accents rather than throughout. The design features concrete bricks, pollinator-rich planting, a water feature, an insect log pile and an invertebrate shelter to encourage more wildlife into the space.
The key theme for the garden is simple. Reduce, recycle, reuse.
Reduce
The Marshalls Sustainability Garden uses low carbon products which are sourced or manufactured from local sites close to the NEC to keep carbon emissions to a minimum. These include Scoutmoor Yorkstone setts and paving, quarried at our Scoutmoor quarry in the North West and Phoenix Facing Brick Walling which are concrete bricks that produce 28% less carbon than a clay brick alternative.
Recycle
The pergolas have been manufactured from recycled railway sleepers, and the plastic behind the living wall is also manufactured from recycled plastic.
Reuse
The whole garden will be repurposed following the show and installed at Marshalls head office in Yorkshire, for our people and visitors to enjoy for years to come.
Key features of the Marshalls Sustainability Garden
Hard landscaping
The garden design features mostly British made products to reduce high-carbon intensity products from the show garden. The materials with higher carbon footprints have been used sparingly as accents rather than throughout.
Garden design tip – if you’re looking to create a show-stopping garden design that is both beautiful and sustainable, take a leaf out of our book and keep the less sustainable materials as accents rather than across the whole design. Check the sustainability credentials of the materials you’re buying, where possible buy British-made, or even local, products. Search online for inspiration of ways you can re-use materials in your garden too.
Soft landscaping
A naturalist planting style has been used to complement our sustainability message and provide a colourful contrast to the hard landscaping. Most planting used is low maintenance so it stays looking good for longer without constant upkeep.
Garden design tip – Always factor planting into your garden design, it encourages biodiversity and adds interest and colour. If you want a low maintenance garden, ask your local garden centre for advice on the best plants to buy.
Living wall
The living wall is a real focal point in our design this year, bringing in more biodiversity and creating a relaxing ambience to the space.
Garden design tip - incorporating a living wall in gardens or white space is a great option for a smaller garden. Not only does a living wall look good, it also aids biodiversity and is a great addition for your own wellbeing too.
If you’re visiting BBC Gardeners’ World Live this weekend, visit our stand to see the garden in full bloom! For more information on how Marshalls are creating better futures for everyone using sustainable products, please take a look at our sustainability pages.
The Marshalls Sustainability Garden was designed by Johanna Elvidge, Head of Domestic Design at Marshalls.
