The Planting Scheme Behind Our RHS Badminton 2026 Stand

Our stand at RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026 was designed to be much more than a product display. We wanted to create an immersive outdoor setting that demonstrated how planting, pots, furniture and water features could come together to create beautiful, inspiring outdoor spaces.

To bring that vision to life, we partnered with Elle Arnett, whose thoughtful planting design perfectly complemented our latest garden furniture collections. Inspired by the surrounding Cotswold landscape, the stand showcased a relaxed, naturalistic planting scheme that allowed every element of the display to feel connected.

The result was a space that felt less like an exhibition stand and more like a beautifully designed garden, one visitors could wander through, linger in and imagine recreating in their own homes.

Inspired by Britain's Field Edges

Rather than creating a formal show garden, Elle looked to the landscape surrounding RHS Badminton for inspiration.

"For the planting for the trade stand, we took inspiration from the local area. In particular, we focused on local hedgerows and those lovely wildflowers that you find in the margins."

That field-edge inspiration became the foundation for the entire stand. Rather than relying on bold planting or heavily structured borders, Elle layered soft ornamental and steppe grasses with pollinator-friendly perennials including Achillea, Nepeta, Salvia, Verbena, Cosmos, Scabious, Gaura and hardy Geraniums. Together, they created a relaxed, naturalistic planting scheme full of texture, movement and seasonality that felt completely at home within its surroundings.

A Walk Around the Stand

One of the first areas visitors encountered was a trio of handcrafted terracotta pots planted in varying heights and sizes.

Their warm, earthy tones perfectly complemented the field-edge inspired planting, while soft pinks, gentle purples, biscuit-coloured grasses and vibrant yellow Achillea created a relaxed, natural composition.

Rather than treating each container individually, Elle grouped the pots together to create rhythm and depth, allowing the planting to feel generous, established and full of movement.

Creating Height with Trees and Larger Containers

Providing one of the stand's defining focal points was a magnificent three-metre multi-stem birch, chosen for its striking white bark and graceful canopy.

Rather than leaving the base bare, Elle underplanted the tree with flowing white Gaura and purple Geraniums, creating a soft transition between the canopy above and the surrounding planting below.

The tree was planted within an 80cm Gardenesque x Ecopot, demonstrating that larger containers can comfortably accommodate specimen trees while still offering the flexibility to move them around the garden as spaces evolve.

A Colour Palette Inspired by the Countryside

The planting palette reflected the colours found across Britain's countryside at the height of summer. Delicate whites, dusty lilacs, soft pinks, muted greens and warm golden tones sat alongside biscuit-coloured grasses to create a garden that felt calm, cohesive and naturally balanced.

As the light changed throughout the day and the breeze passed through the planting, the grasses and flowering perennials caught the movement beautifully, allowing the display to evolve throughout the day and feel alive rather than static.

Handcrafted Pots That Brings the Planting to Life

Pots and planters played a central role in the overall composition of the stand, introducing height, structure and focal points while allowing planting to flow naturally throughout the space.

Across the display, handcrafted terracotta, elegant glazed pottery, Ancient Stone planters and our Gardenesque x Ecopots collection demonstrated how different materials can sit comfortably together within one cohesive planting scheme. Warm terracotta reinforced the rural inspiration behind the design, weathered stone echoed the meadow-style planting, while glazed finishes introduced subtle moments of colour and reflection.

One of the standout planting moments featured a Celine Glazed Planter filled with complementary textures and colours. Peach-toned Salvia was paired with soft mounds of Nepeta, while airy Verbena emerged through the planting to add height and movement, creating a container that felt abundant without becoming overcrowded.

As Elle explains, "The key to recreating this look at home is to use larger pots so you can group plants together and create these winning combinations." Larger containers provide space for plants to establish, while allowing different textures, heights and flowering periods to work together to create displays with lasting seasonal interest. If you're creating a similar display, choosing large outdoor plant pots gives plants the room they need to thrive while creating greater visual impact. 

Outdoor Furniture Designed to Sit Naturally Within the Landscape

Rather than creating separate product displays, each garden furniture collection was positioned as though it already belonged within the garden.

Settings featuring the Stanley, Arlington, Belmont and Hoxton collections were nestled amongst the planting, demonstrating different ways of living outdoors while remaining connected through a shared appreciation for quality craftsmanship and natural materials.

From FSC-certified acacia and handwoven wicker to powder-coated steel and tactile rope detailing, every collection complemented the surrounding planting rather than competing with it. The result showed how outdoor furniture becomes more inviting when it feels integrated within the landscape itself.

Water Features That Complete the Space

Water introduced another sensory layer to the stand, bringing gentle movement and the calming sound of flowing water amongst the planting.

Within one of the more intimate seating areas, an Esme Globe Water Feature was surrounded by carefully selected planting that echoed its rounded form and soft colours. A clipped Pittosporum mirrored its shape, while neighbouring perennials softened the edges and helped it feel naturally embedded within the landscape.

Together with the surrounding planting, the water feature created one of the stand's quietest moments—encouraging visitors to pause and experience the calming atmosphere that running water can bring to an outdoor space.

Elle's Top Tips for Recreating the Look at Home

One of the biggest takeaways from the planting scheme was that creating this style of garden doesn't require hundreds of different plants.

Instead, Elle recommends focusing on a few key principles:

• Take inspiration from your local landscape. Looking at the colours and planting that naturally grow nearby creates gardens that feel authentic and timeless.

• Choose larger containers. Bigger pots allow you to group several plants together, creating fuller, more natural planting combinations.

• Layer plants for movement. Combine ornamental grasses with flowering perennials to introduce texture, softness and interest throughout the seasons.

• Mix different pottery finishes. Terracotta, stone and glazed pots work beautifully together when united by a complementary planting palette.

• Think beyond individual products. Trees, furniture, water features and planting work best when designed together as one cohesive outdoor space.