Wild spaces have always resonated with me, those magical places that help calm the soul and get us in touch with our inner child. Such was the inspiration for my 'Beautiful Border' garden at BBC Gardeners World Autumn Fair.

One of the main locations which inspired my border was Bradfield Woods Nature Reserve, I would visit often while I was growing up and loved to explore the woodland - often creating fantasy narratives in my head while doing so. This ancient woodland has an almost ethereal quality and I wanted to evoke the feeling of wonder that I got as a child during those visits. The small water feature running through the border links back to vivid memories of playing in streams and pond dipping for various aquatic life. Sticklebacks were a common find and I imagined these were vicious piranhas in the fantasy land that my mind created on these family outings. Intrigued by the many creatures that inhabit the woodland, I was captivated by the small details and this interest has never left me. I now endeavour to create wildlife-friendly gardens, and always strive to aim for a rich biodiversity and ecologically-friendly practices.

The border also encapsulates my current interest in agroforestry and permaculture, which is a land management approach that aims to benefit climate and wildlife alongside growers. My border goes a step further to include mainly native plants, all of which have either edible, medicinal or uses in crafts and natural dyes. Aiming to involve a wide audience and encourage them to create their own wildlife-friendly spaces - the border attracted the attention of the judges and I was awarded Platinum for my design. The ethos behind the border and the attention to detail were the points that were picked up on during the assessment and I hoped to get this message across to the visitors during the show.

Sourcing the plants from local eco-friendly growers, and then growing them on myself, ensured there was minimal impact to the environment and many of the plants have been donated to Wildlife Friendly Village - Chedburgh. Ensuring the sentiment of the border lives on and continues its life as a haven for wildlife.

Delving deeper into the particular plant and tree varieties, I have three multistem trees which reflect the coppiced trees in Bradfield Woods. These are a rowan (Sorbus acuparia) birch (Betula utilis var. Jacquemontii) and a hoazel (Corylus avellana ‘Zellernus’) creating the top layer of the ‘Food Forest’. Below this I have blackberry (Rubus fruticosus ‘Loch Ness’) and then the ground layer which comprises of apline strawberries (Frageria vesca), feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), ladies mantle (Alchemilla mollis), and ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris).

I hope this inspires current and future generations to work with the environment and create these wildlife-friendly spaces while also being able to enjoy and benefit from the plants in more ways than just the visual aspect - which is the dominating feature of many ornamental gardens. Gardening has often been against nature, forcing non-native species to cope with the wrong conditions, using chemicals and pesticides to control nature, and damaging the soil with excessive digging and man-made fertilisers.

We need to change our habits now if we are to protect the environment for the future. If we all make these small changes, we are a step towards a healthier future for everyone.

Find out how you can make your garden a haven for wildlife by using our guides below: