A life-saving charity has scooped top honours in a North Yorkshire flower show for its tranquillity garden.
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) was named ‘Best in Show’ at this year’s Harrogate Flower Show for its new memorial gardens - and was also presented with a Premier Gold Award.
The ‘Reflection and Remembrance Garden’, created by York based garden designer Kate Smithson, seeks to create a place of tranquillity and remembrance for those who have been impacted by the work of YAA.
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Organisers hope to create a memorial for the community to enjoy for years to come with the garden settling in its permanent location of Roundhay Park in Leeds later this year.
Once completed, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance intend to use the garden for future fundraising and will allow the public to leave lasting dedications to loved ones there.
Taking centre stage in the garden is a metal, yellow pergola which reflects the blades and colour of the YAA helicopters. Soft, billowing planting and a central reflective pool celebrate the varied landscapes of Yorkshire that the helicopter's fly over.
Designer Kate said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have not only been awarded a Premier Gold Award, but also to be given the accolade of ‘Best in Show’.
“It has been a real honour and privilege to have designed this garden for YAA and to work with such a talented landscaper in Nick Fryer and his team.
“I hope the visitors to the show over the next few days will love the garden as much as I have loved designing it, and I look forward to developing it further for the public when it relocates to Roundhay Park permanently after the show.”
The garden created through the sponsorship and funding from organisations including Redmayne Bentley, The North of England Horticultural Society, Woods of Harrogate, The Arnold Burton Charitable Trust, RB Gray Charitable Trust, Ilkley Charitable Trust, and The Peacock (Leeds) Trust.
Judges' comments included: “An excellent garden that followed the brief closely, well scaled and in proportion.”
Tessa Klemz, regional fundraising manager for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said : “We are absolutely thrilled to be named as ‘Best in Show’ at this year’s Harrogate Flower Show, as well as being presented with a Premier Gold Award.
"The garden has far exceeded our expectations and it’s been wonderful to have so much lovely feedback from the show visitors too who all love it as much as we do.
"Kate’s design captures exactly what we were looking for - to create a place of memories, tranquillity and peacefulness and we cannot thank her enough for the time and effort she’s put into the garden over many months. And also, to our landscaper Nick Fryer and his team who have taken Kate’s concept and built it to make it a reality – their craftmanship on the project is outstanding.”
Harrogate Spring Flower Show ran from April 25-28.
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