Hugh and Howard Miller of bespoke kitchen design company H.Miller Bros won a Silver-Gilt medal at the Chelsea Flower Show for their ‘Urban Foraging Station’ Show Garden.

Designed for Alder Hey Children’s Charity, Liverpool, the garden was designed to encourage children’s engagement with nature through foraging, sharing healthy food, playing, relaxing together and “being in the moment”.

The design included a handcrafted Mobile Foraging Kitchen with tools, handcrafted by the company from solid chestnut, needed for seasonal foraging and an induction hob.

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It was featured in a garden with plant species such as crab apple, rose hip, elderflower, wild garlic, mushroom, water mint and poppy seed that can be foraged for eating, processing, drinking, making natural dyes, or even using for bush crafts.

In addition, there was a common thread of ‘weaving’ throughout the garden with picnic blanket, baskets, mobile foraging kitchen and tools.

A switch of material was needed for the picnic blanket feature, as this element needs to perform outdoors in all climates, so was made from glass-reinforced concrete which allowed H. Miller Bros to create the ripples and folds of a blanket.

Designer at H.Miller Bros Howard Miller said “We were really keen to work with Alder Hey to make a garden that celebrates the amazing work they do to support children and their families.

“We’re a family business, local to the Hospital and many of our family and friends have benefited from Alder Hey’s care; they’re a big part of our community.

“It’s a real privilege too that we can move the garden back to Alder Hey where it will become a living resource for children and medical practitioners to use for social prescribing and other informal therapies.

The Alder Hey Urban Foraging Station Garden was funded by ‘Project Giving Back’.

Read more about the wider trends for outdoor kitchen design.