In Your Garden: Kamal's Bradford Garden

Posted on 19 Feb 2026

Gardens

In our series #GMinyourgarden, we’re peeking over the fence into gardens around the world to explore their places in our lives today. This week, Kamal's canal-side plot in Saltaire, Bradford:

When I first moved into my little canal-side cottage in Saltaire, what greeted me was some Yorkshire paving, rubble and an overgrown patch of weeds. But I saw it as a blank canvas. Having never had a garden of my own before, I knew I wanted to create something that wasn’t only for my pleasure, but something that brought joy to pollinators and passersby.

Early inspiration came from memories of my Bangladeshi mum’s love of horticulture and design inspiration came from the unapologetic colours of David Hockney’s paintings: passionate pinks and acid greens.

What started with a few locally sourced plants and pots, has slowly grown into this tiny vibrant space: a haiku of a garden that’s a poem in petals – something miniature and perfectly formed and tells a story of colour, light and beauty. Each bloom feels like a small act of defiance against grey; each passing smile from a stranger, a quiet reward.

There have been challenges: wind streams along the canal, a sloping border, the constant editing a tiny space demands. But constraint has been its gift.

To see it win BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine – People’s Choice Award 2026 was deeply humbling but the true prize is the joy it sparks. I hope it continues to surprise and remind us that even the smallest garden can hold an entire world.

Follow along with our #GMInYourGarden series on Instagram @gardenmuseum

Follow Kamal: @mrkamal.x

In Your Garden: Kamal’s Bradford Garden

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