The Nectary, a show garden designed by Kate Patrick at BBC Gardener's World Live 2025, is a sustainable space that cultivates connections between generations of skilled artisans, farmers, and the best of local UK family-run businesses.
An important part of the garden is water, Copper and Green have been commissioned to supply a large, 60cm diameter, hammered copper bowl for the garden to be used as a water bath for birds and pollinators.
Paul Selley, owner of Copper and Green, says "It was a pleasure to work on such a large hammered bowl for Kate's Nectary garden. After hours of labour the final effect with the copper and water creates a real impact.
The bowl was created from a 65cm disk of sheet copper which was cut by hand before being hammered over a log. As copper is repeatedly hammered with thousands of strokes, a dish shape is slowly formed. During each session of hammering, the copper 'work hardens' which makes the material brittle and inflexible. To restore the copper to its workable state, it must be heated to 500° before cooling, this process, called annealing, realigns the molecules in the metal so it can be effectively hammered once again.
Kate Patrick, a bee keeper and gardener says "a garden should bring joy, and this one is sure to delight, from the stained glass incorporated into the greenhouse with colour therapy and plant growth in mind, hand painted art by community artists adorning the glass, uk-grown sustainable willow murmuring around the garden, a skilled coppersmith, carpenters, coppicing teams and community groups all working to showcase a small edible nectar-rich haven packed with rare, heritage, heirloom vegetables, and delicious nectar rich and wildlife-friendly blooms all grown in the UK.
Every aspect of the garden has been carefully considered with sustainability and longevity in mind, recycling, reusing, and bridging the June Gap for pollinators and wildlife to provide vital nectar sources during the lull between spring and summer.
The Nectary showcases flowers in all stages of growth, from full bloom through to seedpod stage, each stage beneficial to wildlife in our small and beautiful biodiverse green spaces. I am working in collaboration with a community of talented individuals - like bees in a hive - to create a garden that lifts the mood (aids mental wellbeing), cultivates connections, educates, and showcases creative UK artisanal talent.