Eat, Drink and be Rosemary
Designer: Laura Ashton-Phillips
Sponsors: Gabriel Ash
Gloucestershire County Council
Gloucestershire Managed Services
Built By: John Francis, Fran Phillips, Ian and Anne Oliver
Medal Award: 
Silver
Who is this garden for?
The garden is a space for a young, environmentally conscious family to escape the whirlwind of everyday life.
The hectic nature of the modern world can lead to increasing levels of stress and anxiety for children and adults alike. This space allows a family to come together and connect with nature, to listen to birdsong, to grow and eat a fresh tomato.
Where is the garden set?
Gloucestershire.
Who or what is the design inspiration?
Native wild spaces combined with cottage kitchen gardens.
Where will the garden go after the Festival?
The entire build process has been designed with zero wastage in mind with all materials being repurposed as part of a children’s mental health and wellbeing garden at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Plant List (subject to change)
Click Here
Key Plants
Click Here
Further Detail
The Eat, Drink and be Rosemary garden offers spaces for cultivating and enjoying homegrown produce, as well as areas for playing and exploring nature, with habitat creation integrated throughout.
The garden showcases the beauty and benefits of constructing and planting with nature as a focus, incorporating local native wildflowers and sculptural log piles.
With thanks to: Judith Needham & Strulch
Sustainability
- The garden build will be cement-free.
- All plants used in this design have been grown in peat-free compost.
- The design embraces upcycling and reusing products, including using reclaimed hard landscaping materials.
About the Designer
Laura Ashton-Philips
Driven by her lifelong passion for horticulture, Laura pursued remote studies with the RHS. Now, Laura serves as the grounds manager and garden designer for NHS Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her role involves crafting garden spaces within hospitals and medical centres, providing areas for staff, patients, and service users alike.
Laura has brought two Show Gardens to RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
2022 – The Longcroft Press, Bronze medal
2023 – NHS Greener Gloucestershire Garden, Silver medal