Cotswold designers, growers and artists have picked up medals across this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Great British Life: Fibrex Stand (c) Mandy BradshawFibrex Stand (c) Mandy Bradshaw (Image: Archant)

On Main Avenue, Cheltenham-based Chris Beardshaw won silver-gilt for his third garden for Morgan Stanley.

There was silver-gilt also for exhibits by Fibrex Nurseries and the Hardy Plant Society in the Great Pavilion exhibition.

Meanwhile, Sarah Eberle’s Artisan Garden, which featured a specially commissioned concrete seat by Stroud sculptor Darren Rumley, won gold, while there was also gold for Catherine McDonald’s Artisan design with a copper wire sculpture by Cotswold artist Rupert Till.

Great British Life: NYO at Chris Beardshaw's garden c) Mandy BradshawNYO at Chris Beardshaw's garden c) Mandy Bradshaw (Image: Archant)

And there was gold for The Linklaters Garden for Maggie’s, which promotes the work of Maggie’s Centres, including the one in Cheltenham.

Chris’ garden highlighted Morgan Stanley’s outreach work in education and explored the link between gardening and learning.

Members of the National Youth Orchestra composed a piece inspired by the garden and played it there on press day.

Great British Life: Rupert Till's copper work (c) Mandy BradshawRupert Till's copper work (c) Mandy Bradshaw (Image: Archant)

Chris, whose childhood friend Colin Thomas from Herefordshire built the garden, grew more than 3,000 plants himself in a borrowed glasshouse at Miserden Nursery.

“Growing the plants was a challenge,” he says, “but I got to know the plants intimately.

“It was good to get back to the heart of what I started out doing.”

Great British Life: Linda Marsh with the Hardy Plant Society'’s stand (c) Mandy BradshawLinda Marsh with the Hardy Plant Society'’s stand (c) Mandy Bradshaw (Image: Archant)

The Hardy Plant Society’s 60th anniversary exhibit was organised by members of the Worcestershire group and drawn up by retired garden designer Linda Marsh from Cheltenham.

Fully revolving, it features a different plant for each of the society’s 60 years, many of them grown by members.

Mick Dunstan, who helped co-ordinated the team effort, says the group was thrilled to be taking part in the world-famous show: “It’s been a real ‘once in a lifetime’ thing for us.”

Fibrex Nurseries are also celebrating an anniversary: the 30th for their National Collection of Pelargoniums.

Their stand was a tiered ‘birthday cake’ made of pelargoniums and featuring their new introduction, the yellow-flowered ‘Rushmoor Amazon’, which was short-listed for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year.

In the Artisan Gardens section, Sarah Eberley commissioned Darren Rumley, of One Artisan, after seeing his work at RHS Tatton last year.

His curved concrete seat was a focal point on her garden for Viking Cruises, inspired by the work of Gaudi and the Modern Arts Movement in Barcelona.

The Seedlip Garden by Catherine MacDonald explores how plants have been distilled over the ages for their medicinal properties. Wire sculptor Rupert Till, who is based near Winchcombe, was commissioned to produce a sculpture representing the distillation process.

And the Cotswolds were also represented among the RHS judges with Cotswold Life’s gardening columnist Paul Hervey-Brookes chairing the judging of the Fresh and Artisan gardens.

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