The Rain Garden at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival

[Scroll down for full plant list]

The Rain Garden, sponsored by Flood Re, has been created by John Howlett, a television and theatre director for 15 years who decided to follow his passion for garden design in 2023 and graduated with a distinction and special mention from the London College of Garden Design in 2024.

The garden is inspired by the changing climate and flood risks that urban environments face. This garden offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, drawing inspiration from the tranquillity and beauty of traditional Japanese gardens. It demonstrates that with thoughtful design and planting, it’s possible to create a space that not only inspires but also addresses practical concerns, such as mitigating the impact of flooding caused by climate change. The garden’s design features a monochromatic colour palette of whites, greens and subtle, rust- coloured accents, guiding visitors through a sensory experience. The calming sounds of water and rustling grasses create a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere.

The Rain Garden is an immersive garden designed to showcase how we can transform urban spaces into thriving, nature-friendly sanctuaries. This garden celebrates the beauty of sustainable water management and its positive impact on the environment. Through innovative rainwater harvesting techniques – like elegant rain chains, swales, and troughs – The Rain Garden demonstrates that we can not only alleviate the challenges of flooding, but also create a serene, biodiverse oasis that nurtures both people and planet.

Our design is inspired by the tranquil spirit of Japanese tea houses, offering a space where visitors can pause, reflect, and be rejuvenated by the soothing sounds of water and nature. The garden’s green and white palette, accented by splashes of rust-coloured flowers and Corten arches, guides you through a series of quiet revelations as you walk, allowing you to experience nature’s rhythm in every step. As grasses sway and  water flows, the bustle of the city fades away, and you are immersed in a sanctuary that invites mindfulness and connection. In our commitment to sustainability, we’ve chosen ground screws and compacted soil over concrete, ensuring the garden’s light footprint. Beyond its beauty, we hope the garden will inspire positive change, moving after the show to a local East London school facing its own challenges with flooding, where it will provide not just a solution, but a living, breathing example of how nature can heal, sustain, and inspire us all.

The future of ‘The Rain Garden’

When designing the garden, I knew from the outset that I wanted it to have a meaningful life beyond the show—a vision that aligns closely with one of the RHS’s key criteria for garden selection. So, when I learned that the Coppermill in Walthamstow was facing issues with flooded playgrounds and a lack of shaded areas for students, it felt like the perfect opportunity to create something lasting and impactful.

Coppermill Primary already has a strong track record in sustainability. In 2023, they won the Sustainable City Award for School of the Year and were even featured by CNN for their community-led ‘Peace Garden’.

Deputy head Mr Gilbert said this of receiving the garden – “Here at Coppermill there is huge excitement and anticipation for the arrival of our new rain garden space, generously allocated to us by John Howlett and Flood Re. The space will be extremely valuable for us both in terms of creating a quiet space for the children to use at break times, as well as creating additional green space and adding more trees and plants to our school grounds. As a school committed to being as environmentally conscious as possible, this news was music to our ears and the children cannot wait to see this wonderful garden in action!”

John Hewlett – To know that the garden will have a lifelong beyond the show is a fantastic feeling.

The Eco Council

At Coppermill, the Eco Council play a vital role in school life. At the beginning of each year, children are given the opportunity to apply for the Eco Council and complete an application form. The previous year’s Eco Council look over these forms and shortlist children to take part in elections in class.

They look at the skills that the children feel they can bring to the role as well as their ideas for how the school can continue its ongoing commitment to being sustainable and eco-friendly. The children who are shortlisted then present to their class, who vote anonymously for the two best candidates. See the photo below for our wonderful school council for this year.

Each term the Eco Council focus on an area they would like to focus on. These include (waste and recycling, biodiversity and food). They work with the Eco Council lead to develop projects which will help the school to develop in one of these areas (for example last year the Eco Council helped us to develop areas around school for planting seeds and helped to maintain the rain gardens outside school). The Eco Council also carry out important jobs around school, reminding children to recycle their waste and ensuring electronic equipment is switched off whenever it can be. Please check back later in the Autumn term for updates on what the Eco Council have been working on.

Plant list

• Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Viridis’ 
• Acer palmatum ‘Ryusen’
• Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ 
• Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’ 
• Acer palmatum ‘Tamukeyama 
• Acer palmatum ‘Ueno-yama’ 
• Acer palmatum Scolopendriifolium 
• Acer Palmatum Trompenburg 
• Acer Palmatum Red Pygmy

Climbers 

Bamboo

• Phyllostachys Bissetti
• Phyllostachys Aureosulcata

Shrub 

• Pinus mugo mughus 
• Fatsia polycarpa Green Fingers 
• Sambucus nigra Black Lace (Eva) 
• Viburnum plicatum Mariesii 
• Viburnum plicatum Watanabe 
• Nandina Domestica Obsessed 

Herbaceous perennial 

• Aruncus Haratio
• Astilbe Weisse Gloria
• Euphorbia Amygdal ‘Pupurea’
• Rodgersia ‘Broze Peacock’
• Tellima grandiflora 
• Heuchera Marmalade 
• Foeniculum vulgare Purpureum (Bronze Fennel) 
• Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’
• Deschampsia cesp. Goldtau
• Hosta Devon Green
• Hosta Devon Green
• Hosta Elisabeth
• Hosta Halcyon
• Levistichum officinale (Lovage) 
• Libertia chilensis 
• Rheum palmatum tanguticum 
• Viola cornuta Alba
• Wasabia japonica 
• Geranium whiteness 

Grass

Ferns

• Asplenium scolopendrium (Phyllitis) 
• Cyrtomium fortunei Clivicola 
• Cyrtomium macrophyllum 
• Dryopteris erythrosora 
• Dryopteris mix – erythrosora
• Polystichum makinoi
• Matteuccia Struthiopteris 

Other

• Soleirolia soleirolii
• Fagus Sylvatica Common Beech
• Taxus Baccata Ball