Show gardens needn't cost the earth at RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse 2025
RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse welcomes an inspiring new show garden entry from acclaimed garden designer and BALI member, Lee Bestall - 'Hazelwood Barn | Reimagined by Bestall & Co’. The garden embraces the concept of lower environmental impact design and landscaping with a bold yet beautiful message: reuse isn’t a compromise – it’s a creative advantage.
Taking inspiration from the surrounding rural landscape and heritage of the outbuildings, including an old tool store on the perceived site, the garden tells the story of how thoughtful design principles can repurpose and elevate materials from the converted barn renovations that might otherwise be classed as 'waste' and destined for landfill.
Lee Bestall, Creative Director of Bestall & Co, explains,
“We wanted to show that elegance in the garden doesn’t have to come from brand new, pristine materials. There is quiet luxury in the timeworn, the salvaged, the overlooked. By reimagining what we already have, we can design gardens that are both environmentally more responsible and emotionally resonant.”
Redefining Waste as Resource
Hazelwood Barn incorporates a palette of reclaimed materials – from broken York stone offcuts that have been crushed to make a mulch, to weathered oak timber beams and rusting metal roofing. Each material has been carefully curated and given a new purpose. The water features and lighting are run using solar energy and the plants have been sourced locally where possible. The water feature is created using waste from a prototype sculpture and all accessories to the garden are reclaimed or reused and will be repurposed along with the rest of the elements at the end of the show.
The planting medium is a blend of aggregates we call EarthLite™, developed by Bestall & Co as a result of years of research and development. This medium allows for a more diverse range of plants to thrive, than would normally in the Yorkshire climate and reduces the amount of ‘waste’ that has to be removed from site.
By celebrating imperfection and revaluing the “unusable,” the garden sparks a conversation about the landscaping industry’s role in circular design and responsible sourcing. Visitors are encouraged to linger and look closer to see the fingerprints of time and the potential of things passed over. In this garden, story is just as important as style.
Visit Hazelwood Barn | Reimagined by Bestall & Co and designed by Lee Bestall at the RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse this month.
Where? Wentworth Woodhouse, Wentworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S62 7TQ
When? Wednesday 16th to Sunday 20th July 2025, 10.00am-5.00pm
