Yorkshire designer's garden inspired by canal walks wins gold at RHS Badminton Flower Show

She not only took home a Gold medal but also picked up the Best in Show for Planting Pockets award for the Where Nature Navigates garden.

Ms Johnston, whose Take Root Garden Design business is in Slaithwaite, partnered with leading Yorkshire landscaping company Four Seasons Landscapes and was commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society to design and build a Planting Pocket at the show.

The theme of the Planting Pocket category is the variety of life, and with the RHS focus on promoting biodiversity in its show gardens, Alison took inspiration from the beautiful canals of Yorkshire and beyond and her walks by canals with her mother.

The garden celebrates the beauty, biodiversity and wellbeing benefits of Britain’s waterways while highlighting the work of the Canal & River Trust and the volunteers who help protect these treasured landscapes.

The project also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the restoration and reopening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Standedge Tunnel – a landmark achievement made possible through years of dedication from volunteers, supporters and partners, and one that continues to benefit local communities, wildlife and visitors today.

The garden combines native and wildlife-friendly planting borders, natural stonework, and a stunning wildlife pond with feature lock-gate, to recreate the sense of peace, discovery and connection with nature found along Britain’s canal network.

For Ms Johnston, pictured, the project is deeply personal.

She said: “My mum volunteered on both the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and Huddersfield Narrow Canal and it was such an important part of who she was.

"The conservation work gave her purpose and connection to nature, and the community of volunteers offered great friendship and support.

"We would often visit favourite spots together where we knew we might catch a glimpse of a kingfisher or just enjoy the ever-changing cast of plants and wildlife on show as the seasons changed.

“When mum became sick, the community of volunteers rallied around her. Even though she couldn’t do the physical work she was always welcomed for a chat and a piece of cake.

"It’s a really diverse community of volunteers, and everyone has a different story to tell about why they volunteer and what they personally get out of it.”

Catherine Clayton, area operations manager at Canal & River Trust manages the teams looking after Huddersfield’s canals.

She said: “Alison’s story of volunteers supporting her mum through illness is a powerful reminder that volunteering is about so much more than caring for canals; it offers a chance to connect with nature, meet new people and make a lasting difference.”​

Ms Johnston asked Four Seasons Landscapes to be the garden’s construction partner having worked with them on other ambitious projects.

She said: “Matthew and the team at Four Seasons have delivered numerous high-quality builds for designs I’ve done and I knew they’d be perfect for this project.”

The team transformed the bare site into a snapshot of rewilded habitat in a challenging six-day time-frame.

Matthew Lunn, Director of Four Seasons Landscapes, said: “We were delighted to be working with Alison to bring Where Nature Navigates to life at RHS Badminton 2026.”