An amateur gardener and mother of two from Essex, Becky Williams, is set to fulfill a lifelong dream by designing a showcase garden at BBC Gardener's World Live. This special project aims to spotlight the vital work of the local charity Support 4 Sight, which provides essential support for the visually impaired community in the region, including Becky's own father, who is registered blind.
From Personal Gardens to National Stage
Despite having only ever designed her own private gardens before, Becky has boldly taken on the challenge of creating this unique garden for the prestigious BBC Gardener's World Live event. The show runs from June 18 to 21, 2026, and attracts some of the UK's top gardening designers along with approximately 90,000 visitors. It is hosted by renowned BBC Gardener's World TV presenters, including Monty Don, Adam Frost, and Frances Tophill, who are among Becky's gardening heroes.
A Garden Designed for All Senses
Becky's garden, titled "Sensed, Not Seen," is meticulously crafted to be experienced beyond sight, celebrating the other senses of smell, touch, sound, and taste. It showcases how inclusive garden design can make nature and green spaces accessible to everyone, regardless of visual ability. Becky hopes that visitors to the show will pause, imagine, and step into the world of someone living with visual impairment.
The design features vibrant flowers bursting with color, while water features and wind chimes create a soothing and immersive soundscape. Every element has been thoughtfully planned to allow blind and visually impaired visitors to connect deeply with nature, emphasizing that gardens can be a place of shared experience and joy.
Supporting a Worthy Cause
To further support the charity, all plants from the garden will be available for purchase on the final day of the show. All proceeds from this end-of-show plant sell-off will be donated directly to Support 4 Sight, helping to fund their ongoing work in the community.
Inspired by Lived Experience
Becky's dream of creating this garden is deeply rooted in her personal family experience. Having grown up with a visually impaired parent, she understands firsthand how isolating gardening spaces can sometimes feel and how transformative inclusive design can be. "This garden is about starting conversations," Becky explains. "It's about showing that gardens are for everyone. I want people to step into this space and experience nature differently—to realize how much can be felt, heard, and shared."
She adds, "This is an exciting challenge for me, as I've never done anything like this before. It's a chance for Essex to be represented on a national gardening stage and to highlight the work of this amazing local charity, which has supported my dad, our family, and so many other blind and visually impaired people in the region."
