Royal Horticultural Society student set to showcase border designs at Gardeners World Live

Royal Horticultural Society Level 2 student, Donna Sutton is set to showcase her border design at Gardeners World Live from Thursday 12th till Sunday 15th June 2025 in Birmingham.

Donna started her RHS course only in September and has come through many rounds of competition to win the opportunity to grow and present a show border at Gardener’s World Live.

Originally training as a chartered accountant, Donna decided after she had her first child that she knew her ‘heart was no longer in her accounting career’. Her husband then suggested that she should do something that she loved and had a passion for, which is when she decided to try and turn her hobby of gardening into her career.

Askham Bryan College is supporting her as a sponsor, purchasing a range of seeds for her to grow, using their new propagation benches to raise her seedlings.

The theme for this year is ‘Cultivating connections’ this theme encourages the participant to consider how a garden space, no matter how small, can be a powerful tool to foster a range of connections.

Her design ‘From Mother to Maiden’ is a border that represents her transition from maiden to mother, and how the connections have cultivated along the way, carving the path for her to pursue a career in horticulture and when her priorities changed once she became a mother. The annual plants used represent her maiden phase, where life could be fleeting and fast paced. Then it transitions across the bridge that represents becoming a mother and then into the perennial plants which represent the forever phases in her life.

Donna said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be showcasing my design at Gardeners’ World Live in June. To be able to bring to life the theme in my design of maiden to mother has been so enjoyable. I have learnt so much already about garden design, perspective drawing and growing and maintaining plants. Having attended the GWL show last year and dreaming of having my own beautiful border there one day it seems surreal that it has happened so soon. It shows that you should always try and whatever the outcome there will be something to be learned.”

Take a look below to see Donna’s design for Gardeners World.

You can see Donna’s design at Gardeners World Live from Thursday 12th till Sunday 15th 2025. To book your tickets to the event see the link here.