TV actress draws inspiration from Yorkshire garden at flower show

Designed by Gillespies and sponsored by Welcome to Yorkshire, it picked up a Silver Flora award for the artisan garden seen through the eyes of an artist.

Kingston, of TV’s ER and Doctor Who, said: “I’m renting at the moment with only a boring yard and I want to brighten it up with pots of colourful blooms.”

A garden for the Doncaster Deaf Trust by local designer Graham Bodle including Touch, a concrete and aluminium sculpture by his aunt Hilary Walker went one higher with a Silver Gilt Flora award in the urban garden category, which is just below gold.

“We were ecstatic with the way it turned out,” said Bobbie Roberts, chairman of the trust that raised raise thousands of pounds in sponsorship for the garden which will be enjoyed by its students after the show.

Another Silver Gilt Flora went to the Royal Bank of Canada New Wild Garden designed by Sheffield University’s Nigel Dunnett in the Show Gardens, while North Yorkshire garden designer William Quarmby was awarded a Bronze Flora for his Basildon Bond garden, his first entry at Chelsea in the Artisan Garden section.

In the Great Pavilion section, awards included a Gold medal for Pat Gibbons at Hippopottering Nursery, Haxey, Doncaster; a Silver Gilt Flora for Devine Nurseries at Hollym, Withernsea, and Silver Flora awards for Hoyland Plant Centre, Barnsley, Oak Tree Nursery, at Barlow, Selby, and Primrose Bank Nursery, Kexey, York.

Holmfirth-based sculptor Brendan Hesmondhalgh, who teamed up with Leicestershire colleague David Meredith for their first display at Chelsea, were delighted to receive a commendation from the judges in the trade stands awards.

He will be bringing some of his Chelsea work north next month to the Art Market at Holmfirth, which he co-founded.