A Bright Future: The English Garden feature August 2025

At Sheffield Park & Garden, a landmark National Trust property, a forward-thinking approach to horticulture is thriving. Garden For The Future is a contemporary, climate-resilient planting scheme that reimagines how we design for beauty, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability in a changing world.

The English Garden Magazine

I had the privilege of designing this garden in 2020, but from the outset, the vision was a collaborative effort, shaped by the passion, knowledge and dedication of the National Trust team. None of it would be possible without Head Gardener Jodie Hilton, whose leadership and horticultural expertise have been instrumental in bringing the garden to life and guiding its evolution.

Recently, Jodie was featured in The English Garden magazine, sharing ten standout plants from Garden For The Future that are thriving in the face of climate extremes. Her insight reflects not only the garden’s intention, but how it is being nurtured and managed with real-world understanding.

"This garden isn’t just designed to survive climate change - it’s designed to thrive in it."

Climate-Resilient Plants to Try

The plants Jodie highlights have proven their value in the unpredictable weather conditions we've come to expect: drought, intense heat, heavy rainfall. But they also demonstrate that resilience doesn't mean compromise; it can be beautiful, bold, and dynamic.

A few of the featured species include:

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Airy, delicate flowers and glowing autumn foliage.

Perovskia 'Blue Spire'

Silvery stems and violet-blue clouds, loved by pollinators and drought-tolerant.

Eryngium giganteum 'Silver Ghost'

A sculptural showpiece that thrives in free-draining soils.

"Resilient planting doesn’t mean settling for less, it means designing smarter, deeper, and more beautifully."

Designing for Tomorrow, Together

The design process behind Garden For The Future focused on creating layered, naturalistic plant communities that could thrive with minimal intervention. Structural grasses, drought-tolerant perennials, and long-season performers were selected not only for their hardiness but for their contribution to a garden that feels alive and constantly evolving.

But a garden is never static, and never truly finished. It grows and adapts through the hands that care for it. Jodie and her teams ongoing role in developing, observing, and refining the planting is what keeps this project authentic and meaningful. The collaboration between design and horticulture continues long after the initial plans are drawn.

"It’s a garden shaped by design, but sustained by collaboration."

Visit the Garden

Garden For The Future is open to visitors at Sheffield Park & Garden and continues to mature each year. It’s a space that celebrates experimentation, partnership, and the powerful potential of plants to meet the future head-on.

Whether you're looking for ideas for your own garden or simply want to see what climate-resilient design can look like in action, it’s well worth a visit.