Sandringham Flower Show 2026
The Rhythm
of Rainwater
An immersive garden that transforms rain into both a visual and musical experience, highlighting the importance of rainwater harvesting.
We are thrilled to be exhibiting our very first show garden at RHS Sandringham Flower Show in July 2026, in our 10th anniversary year. It feels like a real milestone for AP Design Studio, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.
Rainwater harvesting is usually hidden from view, treated as a practical necessity. This garden asks what happens when you put it centre stage.
Handcrafted tanks by The Dipping Tank Company collect and store rainwater, gathered not from a tap but harvested directly from a nearby Kings Lynn school. A rill carries water gently between the tanks. As raindrops fall onto a steel tongue drum, they create an ever-changing natural soundtrack, transforming the garden into a living composition shaped by the weather itself.
A corten steel pergola frames a sunken seating area, a place to pause, look up through the canopy, and listen. Lush, green planting surrounds you on all sides: layered, textural, and alive with movement in the rain.
Rainwater harvesting
Zero tap water
All water collected from a Kings Lynn school nearby, connecting the garden to its wider community.
Reclaimed timber
A Norfolk bridge
Every piece of timber in the garden was salvaged from a bridge in Norfolk, a material with its own history of water.
The planting
Chosen for how it sounds as much as how it looks
Every plant earns its place twice over, visually and acoustically. The palette is predominantly green, with seasonal highlights in soft whites and purples weaving through the layers.
- Alchemilla mollis - its scalloped leaves catch and hold water droplets artfully, turning every shower into a display
- Hosta 'Jurassic Park' - broad, architectural leaves that amplify the percussion of rainfall into something almost rhythmic
- Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum' - compact, evergreen structure that anchors the planting year-round
- Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Rex' - dramatic, oversized foliage that creates a sense of lush, immersive depth
- Aquatic planting, including carnivorous species, carefully selected to support biodiversity and maintain water quality within the features
- A mature pine and sculptural pear tree provide canopy, character and the kind of vertical presence that takes decades to grow
Want the full plant list? Get in touch and we’ll send it over.
Inspired by
Sounds Right · Earth/Percent × UN Live
This garden draws inspiration from Sounds Right, the music industry’s climate foundation developed by Earth/Percent in collaboration with UN Live. A pioneering global campaign, it recognises NATURE as an official recording artist, weaving the sounds of the natural world — birdsong, flowing water, wind through trees — directly into music.
Acclaimed musicians are creating new works and reimagining existing songs to incorporate these natural soundscapes. Every stream generates royalties directed towards environmental conservation worldwide. The Rhythm of Rainwater brings that same spirit into physical space: a garden where nature is always the composer.
Inspired by what you've seen?
Explore our portfolio, or get in touch to talk about your own garden.