City’s prizewinning Chelsea garden 
puts down roots at new home in park

The centrepiece of the garden is a traditional Yorkshire mill with an eye-catching giant working water wheel that pumps water around the display, which also contains rockwork and trees as well as water-loving ferns and plants.

It stands next to the Hesco Garden 2010, which made history by becoming the first local authority-produced garden ever to win a gold medal at the Chelsea show, which dates back to 1862.

The 2011 garden was the third Chelsea entry sponsored by Hesco Bastion Ltd, whose owner Jimi Heselden died in an accident in September 2010.

In joining Jimi’s widow, Julie, to unveil the latest attraction at Roundhay Park’s gardens of the world section, Councillor Keith Wakefield, council leader, paid tribute to the businessman and philanthropist.

He said: “Today we are celebrating gold and that could not have been achieved without Jimi Heselden who gave so much to this city. It is fantastic to be able to open this wonderful gold medal-winning garden in Roundhay Park for everyone to be able to come and enjoy.

“It is another stunning design and together with the previous three Chelsea gardens which are now on display all together, it really does make this area of the park an outstanding visitor attraction in its own right.

“Everyone who worked on this garden and in fact all of our Chelsea gardens can be very proud as they really have helped take Leeds to a global audience.”