An Award-Winning Garden with Community at Its’ Heart
Some gardens tell a story through planting. Others tell it through people.
At this year’s inaugural RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026, The Cricket Pavilion Garden did both and was recognised with the Best Show Garden award. designed by Stephen Moody in support of Young at Heart Heathfield, an East Sussex community group that brings generations together through gardening.
Marie-Louise Agius, chair of the judging panel, comments on the garden:
An exuberant and rambunctious display of joy in the garden brought a smile to the face of all of the judges. With much of the planting grown by communities and local schoolchildren, the garden had a sense of establishment and believable sense of place.
For us at Alitex, supporting this garden was about far more than sponsoring a show garden. It was an opportunity to champion a project that perfectly demonstrates how gardening can bring people together, encourage learning across generations, and strengthen local communities.
A Garden Rooted in Real Life
The Cricket Pavilion Garden takes its inspiration from the picturesque cricket ground at Old Heathfield in East Sussex, where designer Stephen Moody lives and volunteers with Young at Heart Heathfield.
Throughout the week, while the cricket ground waits for weekend matches, it becomes something entirely different. Older members of the community and visiting schoolchildren gather to garden together, learning propagation, sowing seeds, creating willow sculptures and, perhaps most importantly, sharing conversation.
What might otherwise be an underused pavilion has become a thriving community hub, where gardening provides purpose, companionship and the opportunity to learn from one another across generations.
That simple idea resonated deeply with us.
At Alitex, we’ve always believed that gardens and greenhouses are about far more than growing plants. They are places where knowledge is passed down; friendships are formed, and wellbeing quietly flourishes.
A Garden Filled with Meaning
Every element of Stephen Moody’s design reflects the work taking place at Old Heathfield.
Behind a beautifully maintained lawn sits the traditional cricket pavilion façade, instantly evoking the character of village cricket. Around it, generous borders overflow with colourful, relaxed planting that feels entirely at home in the Sussex landscape.
Many of the plants featured have an especially meaningful story. Rather than being sourced solely for the show, they have been grown from seed or propagated from cuttings during Young at Heart Heathfield’s gardening sessions, nurtured over many months by the volunteers and participants themselves.
Alongside the planting, two willow sculptures bring the community group’s work to life. One depicts a cricketer, celebrating the setting that makes the project possible. The other portrays a woman sitting beside a child reading a book, inspired by a real moment witnessed during one of the sessions, a reminder that gardens create space not only for growing, but for listening, learning and connecting.
Cottage Garden Planting at RHS Badminton
The planting palette perfectly captures the relaxed character of an English cottage garden, combining long-flowering perennials with pollinator-friendly favourites that provide colour throughout the summer.
Among the standout plants are:
- Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’
- Penstemons
- Achilleas
- Cosmos
- Salvias
Together they create an abundant, informal display that reflects the warmth and accessibility of community gardening. Rich in colour and buzzing with pollinators, the borders celebrate gardens that are welcoming, beautiful and made to be enjoyed.
Why Alitex Chose to Get Involved
When we were first approached about supporting the project, it wasn’t simply the opportunity to be part of the RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026 that appealed.
After visiting Heathfield Cricket Club and seeing Young at Heart Heathfield in action, meeting Rachel Gibson, Stephen Moody and the wider team, it quickly became clear that this was a project making a genuine difference within its local community.
Their enthusiasm was infectious, but more importantly, their work reflected many of the values we hold ourselves.
Gardening has an extraordinary ability to improve wellbeing, reduce isolation, and bring people of all ages together. Whether inside a greenhouse, around a potting bench or out in the garden, the connections formed often become every bit as valuable as the plants themselves.
If supporting this garden encourages even one more cricket club or community space to establish a similar initiative, it will have achieved something truly worthwhile.
Stephen Moody: A Lifetime in Horticulture
Stephen Moody is no stranger to RHS flower shows.
His Chelsea journey began in 1978 as an apprentice with Rochfords, and over the decades he has become one of the most respected landscape contractors in British horticulture, earning numerous RHS awards along the way.
More recently, however, much of his focus has been closer to home.
Over the past two years he has led the weekly gardening activities at Young at Heart Heathfield, helping participants sow, propagate and care for thousands of plants. Many of those same seedlings and cuttings have now found their way into The Cricket Pavilion Garden at RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026, making the garden a true reflection of the people behind it.
A Legacy That Continues
Like all the best show gardens, The Cricket Pavilion Garden has been designed with its future in mind.
Now that the RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026 has come to an end, the plants will continue their journey into gardens and community spaces throughout East Sussex, where they can keep inspiring and supporting local people.
The cricket pavilion façade has also been carefully relocated and will be reused at a site in Burwash, ensuring that the story of the garden lives on long after the show has finished.
For us, that’s the true measure of success.
Supporting Young at Heart Heathfield wasn’t simply about helping to create a beautiful show garden. It was about celebrating the power of gardening to connect people, share knowledge, and strengthen communities.
We’re incredibly proud to have supported Stephen Moody, Young at Heart Heathfield and everyone involved in bringing The Cricket Pavilion Garden to life, and we hope its legacy continues to flourish for many years to come.
Shop our Badminton Greenhouse
The greenhouse featured on our RHS Badminton 2026 stand was our Woodsage Mottisfont – a design that’s long been a favourite for keen growers. With its distinctive flat-fronted lobby, it offers plenty of practical growing space while creating a beautiful focal point in the garden. Perfect for small to medium-sized gardens, every Mottisfont can be tailored to suit your space and growing style, making each greenhouse completely unique.
See the gallery below for more
