Paradise Found | A show garden designed by David Williams, winner of the BBC Radio Lancashire amateur gardener competition 2022.

The garden was inspired by Paradise Park, an area both close to David’s home and heart. Located close to a woodland area and an area of regularly mown grass, the park, like many during COVID19 became both a refuge for locals and an area where the local council ceased regular mowing of the grass.

To everyones surprise and within a just a few weeks, up sprang flowers and grasses with a riot of variation both visually interesting and beneficial to insects.

Inspired by this altered place, David’s competition entry for the Tatton Park Flower Show 2022 was born.

The cool and shady garden has a very atmospheric feeling, further enhanced by the water feature – a beautifully aged metal chain where water flows continuously from the roof and into the pond. Filled with plants and lined with reclaimed rocks, this water feature, provides a home for both marginal and moisture loving plants.

The meditation/yoga deck is constructed from reclaimed pallet wood, gently charred with a flame gun and gives a rustic yet soft look and feel.

David worked with garden designer Lee Bestall to further develop the design after the layout of the garden was changed from the initial rectangle to the new circular feature you see at the show.

I was inspired to create this show feature following a conversation I’d had with Chris Beardshaw back in 2017, when we were building gardens side by side at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. We’d been discussing the constrains of the Chelsea site, when Chris remarked how interesting it would be to create a selection of gardens that opened up into one another. This idea, combined with the perennial problem of hiding a shed (and disguising a backdrop) made me think that this re styling of the gardens would be a great idea. I’m pleased to say that its been a talking point throughout the show ground and I’m hoping this will be adopted in the future as a great way to view the gardens.

Lee Bestall

Thanks to CED Stone for supplying the large stepping stone rocks and CEDEC Footpath Gravel