Pip Probert: How does your garden grow?

Multi-award-winning garden designer Pip Probert, from BBC’s ‘Your Garden Made Perfect’, is participating in Bord Bia Bloom for the first time this year, designing the Fostering Is For You show garden for Tusla Fostering. In the latest instalment of our ‘How does your garden grow?’ series, she tells us about her garden at home in The Wirral, England, and her plans for this year’s Bloom. 

I would describe my garden as… a place that is enjoyed by all. I have a close family that love to be constantly outdoors. We share the garden space and so it contains a variety of zones and plants that suit each of us, and not forgetting Nancy, my golden retriever, who still forgets the true meaning of a “path”! But as with all gardens, we are constantly changing things, and this year sees a renovation of the plot into something more structured and contemporary rather than the slightly more traditional elements that have been enhanced over the previous years. 

My favourite plant at this time of year is… hard to choose as I have so many “favourites”, but I always like something I can rely on. Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ is one of those plants that you can truly rely on to come back every year and give us their all! I look forward to it each year and it never lets me down. I have several plants that I am drawn to and try to include them in my plans as much as possible, including Amelanchier lamarckii as a feature plant. Then various Camassia and Erythronium for delicate flower interest and a wide range of Euphorbias for both flower and foliage interest. See… I can’t choose! 

Now is a good time for… enjoying spring. As your bulbs and spring bedding are doing their thing, try to keep up with the dead heading. Prolong the joy by stopping them from wasting their energy on setting seed. I feel it is very important to protect the new shoots of our precious plants as they start to emerge. Sometimes we are lulled into a false sense of summer, with just a little sunshine encouraging us to get the sunglasses out. We forget that there is still a chill in the air and it is possible that the more tender plants can still suffer. This is not only from weather – Hostas, Delphiniums and Lupins are all prone to damage from slugs and snails so keep an eye out. 

In my garden I try to… leave specific areas for the wildlife to enjoy. I am lucky to live in an area where we are very close to two cities (Chester and Liverpool), yet still in a rural setting. Trees to the back of the garden allow for plenty of shelter and where possible we like to create habitats for them to co-exist without being disturbed by us. We have had families of voles living in pot towers, newts near the pond, and birds nesting in the living wall. We try to encourage as much as possible. 

At this year’s Bord Bia Bloom I am… designing my first Bloom show garden, Fostering Is For You, for Tusla Fostering, which is a heartfelt tribute to the fostering community, symbolising unity, diversity, and connection. It is so exciting to participate in Bord Bia Bloom for the first time! I previously visited the festival and had the most wonderful day out, so I knew that it was an event that I wanted to be a part of. I feel so lucky that this year I get to be involved, working alongside the other designers. I’m looking forward to making new friends, learning from them, and creating a garden that will hopefully inspire others.  

I’m also looking forward to… Everything! I can’t wait for Bloom to begin – there is just so much to see and be a part of. As a designer I am always drawn to the Show Gardens, but I know that I am also going to end up shopping for plants. It seems daft to go home with more plants than you brought with you, especially when that number is in the hundreds, but I know I won’t be able to resist!  

Pip Probart is an award-winning garden designer. She has designed 42 show gardens, earning an impressive 50 medals, including a prestigious platinum award at BBC Gardeners’ World Live in 2024. You can see more of Pip’s work on pipprobert.co.uk and follow her @pipprobertgardendesigner.