To mark 25 years of creating inspiring gardens for life-limited children, Greenfingers Charity is thrilled to announce its presence at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2025 with a specially designed anniversary show garden – generously sponsored by BBC Gardeners’ World.
Titled “The Greenfingers Charity Anniversary Garden”, this beautifully designed space will bring to life the five key elements that define a Greenfingers garden: Play, Learn, Remember, Care, and Grow. The garden, designed by Pip Probert, draws inspiration from her recent visit to Claire House Children’s Hospice in The Wirral, where Pip, alongside the Greenfingers team, met with hospice staff and explored an existing Greenfingers space.
This show garden represents a full-circle moment for the charity, as it was at BBC Gardeners’ World Live that Greenfingers Charity was first launched 25 years ago. The 2025 show provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate this milestone while showcasing the transformative power of gardens to bring comfort, joy, and connection to children, families, and hospice staff.
An immersive space designed for all
Spanning 15.5m x 15.5m, The Greenfingers Charity Anniversary Garden will be a multi-sensory, inclusive space designed to engage children of all abilities while offering places to play, relax, reflect, and connect with nature.
PLAY: The garden will feature interactive sensory elements including a sensory pergola with coloured ribbons, a slinky wall, musical instruments, texture panels, a LEGO panel, and a blackboard. Children can explore a peephole plank pathway, a tall steppingstone route leading to a raised deck, and fun seating options such as bean bags and a hammock. A slide will add an extra element of excitement and adventure.
CARE: Quiet spaces like the ‘Cosy Corner’ will offer a safe, supportive environment where children, families, and hospice staff can take time out to reflect, talk, or simply be together.
GROW: Raised planters at the front of the garden will allow children to experience the joy of growing their own food, with herbs, fruits, and vegetables forming part of an interactive planting scheme. A living herb wall will further encourage hands-on engagement.
LEARN: Learning is woven throughout the garden, from sensory play to hands-on gardening activities. A dedicated kitchen area beneath the pergola will allow children to take part in outdoor food preparation and cooking experiences.
REMEMBER: Thoughtfully placed features will provide moments for reflection and remembrance. A handprint-paved path, personalised hand-shaped decorations on the ivy hedge, and quiet corners will offer meaningful opportunities to honour lost loved ones.
The garden has been made possible through the kind support of many generous partners. BBC Gardeners’ World is proud to sponsor the garden at this year’s show, while British Garden Centres is kindly providing all of the plants featured within the space. Visitors will also be able to take home a piece of the garden, thanks to a plant sell-off at the end of the show.
Crucially, the garden is also be supported by a generous donation from Evergreen Garden Care, helping to bring the vision to life and ensure the charity’s message reaches thousands of show visitors.
Designed with accessibility in mind, the garden will include 1.5m-wide paths with 1.8m turning circles, ensuring easy access for wheelchair users. A rich mix of colours, textures, and tactile materials – including setts, pebbles, cane-like bumps, and grass blocks – will offer a vibrant, stimulating journey through the space.
Boyd Douglas-Davies, Greenfingers Charity Chair, said: "For 25 years, Greenfingers Charity has been creating magical gardens that bring joy and respite to life-limited children, their families and also hospice staff. BBC Gardeners’ World Live is where our journey began, making it the perfect place to celebrate this milestone. The Greenfingers Charity Anniversary Garden will showcase the incredible impact these outdoor spaces have, inspiring visitors to see gardens as places of healing, learning, and togetherness."
BBC Gardeners’ World Live takes place at the Birmingham NEC from 12th–15th June 2025. Following the show, key elements of the garden will be relocated to children’s hospices, ensuring its legacy continues to support children and families for years to come.
Don’t miss your chance to experience the garden in person – make sure you visit the show and discover the magic of the Greenfingers Charity Anniversary Garden for yourself.
