Show garden at Grand Designs Live London

Preparations for building my first show garden at Grand Designs Live London are now underway. Entitled Glow - a garden to warm the soul, this is a design for a small city garden for a busy, eco-conscious owner. The garden demonstrates how sustainable principles need not be compromised when seeking to create an ethical outdoor room with contemporary wow-factor.

A key feature in the garden is a tiled feature wall housing a sleek, built-in eco-fire. The fire provides a welcoming focal point, enticing you into the garden with its mesmerising flames. A floating patio, laid in alternating bands of cedar and tiles and flanked by artificial lawn, provides an inviting spot in which to kick back and relax. The patio emulates the glow of the flames with its soft, amber under-lighting.

Surrounding the patio is a permeable pathway of decorative aggregrate made from recycled ceramics. The pathway is designed to take rainwater run-off from the floating patio. A grey timber pergola spans the garden to frame views while in the garden, as well as when viewed from indoors.

The garden's raised beds, clad in ultra-thin porcelain tiles, are packed with lush planting requiring minimum care - ideal for someone who wants their garden to be a chill-out zone, not a chore. Wildlife-friendly wall art provides an important haven for bees.

Grand Designs Live takes place from 4th to 12th May at London's Excel. So, put a note in the diary and pay us a visit. In the meantime, be sure to follow our progress on Twitter and on Facebook.