Dionne Sambrook started her garden in Spring 2018, when she moved into a new-build house on the Meon Vale site. As well as creating a haven for wildlife, Dionne also grows tree saplings and plants to share with her local community.
Last year, Dionne was named a BBC Gardeners’ World Garden of the Year 2023 finalist and, although she didn’t clinch the top spot, her nature-friendly garden caught the eye of the judges, including Alan Titchmarsh and Arit Anderson. Her garden was then featured in a special wildlife edition of BBC Gardeners’ World magazine in February 2024. This led the production team from the long-running gardening programme on BBC2 to organise a follow-up visit, keen to learn more about her curated oasis.
The BBC Gardener’s World team recognised how rare it is to have such a wonderful garden within a relatively new housing development.
She credits the surrounding countryside including daily walks along The Greenway, an extension of Stratford-Upon-Avon’s flagship cycle and footpath, which runs through Meon Vale, as inspiration for her gardening style and efforts in cultivating her garden to include native wildflowers and provide a wildlife sanctuary. Dionne said:
“I love spending time outside, growing flowers, fruit, and veggies and observing the wildlife. Having a new-build garden has had some challenges but it has been a great opportunity to start with a blank canvas. My garden is organic, so I’ve never used chemicals or peat and I’ve incorporated several different habitats and features to encourage wildlife. I don’t believe in perfect gardens; my approach is to work with nature, encouraging wildlife and incorporating native species in making a beautiful and interesting space for all the family. I encourage everyone to have a go, you don’t need green fingers or much space, just time and patience.”
Dionne’s philosophy extends beyond aesthetics. She added,
“Gardens have a huge role to play in tackling our loss of wildlife and the biodiversity crisis. My garden is buzzing and full of life and I’m fascinated by it. Having birds, butterflies, beetles and bats in my garden, plus all the other fascinating wildlife makes it a more interesting place to spend time. Plus, nature really needs our help right now, so any little thing I can do to support it is a positive step.”
Dionne is keen to help others in her community discover the joys of gardening and support nature. She volunteers as part of a community group, Meon Eco Group, which works to improve biodiversity across the estate. This has included creating wildflower borders in community green spaces, tree planting and providing free water butts and compost bins to residents.
Dionne has also set up a local gardening group on Facebook so that residents interested in gardening can ask questions, share advice, successes and swap plants and seeds. One of Dionne’s top tips for starting a new garden is to never throw lawn turf in the green bin or dispose of it. She said,
“If you are lifting any areas of lawn such as to create a patio or make flower borders, don’t throw it away. It is worth removing the turf and then stacking it upside-down out of the way in a corner of the garden. After 8-12 months it will have rotted down to a lovely crumbly topsoil which you can add to your plant borders to improve the soil structure and introduce more invertebrates into the soil.”
Cameron Maguire, our Regional Client Manager, said
“What Dionne has achieved is fantastic and we were delighted to see her reach the final of the Garden of the Year competition. It is wonderful to see a resident taking such joy from their own garden, as well as inspiration from the open spaces within this development. For her garden to be recognised by such a prolific gardening team, like BBC Gardener’s World, is a fantastic achievement.”
Environmental preservation and the protection of outdoor spaces are core priorities across the wider Meon Vale development, too. The site was designed with a sensitivity to local wildlife, retaining important habitats and improving pathways to enable species to move freely.
If you want to share your garden with others or get inspiration for your new garden, residents can join the Meon Vale gardening community on Facebook (Meon Vale Gardens and Gardening) or follow @dionne_gardening on Instagram for more information about Dionne’s wildlife-friendly garden. Meon Eco Group also has a group on Facebook and organises regular activities throughout the year where members of the community can support environmental improvements such as tree planting and wildlife surveys.
All photography © Dionne Sambrook
