TWO Great Missenden green thumbs claimed the coveted Gold award at last week's Chelsea Flower Show. Kati Crome and Maggie Hughes entered their breath taking design, titled “A postcard from Wales”, in the Artisan class. The pair were the only garden to not have corporate backing for the prestigious Show, funding the design themselves, which added to the significance of their achievement.
Never the less, they proved money isn't the key to creating a patch of paradise. Kati said their garden was one of the least expensive on display. She said: “To win a gold was a wonderful feeling, to have all the people looking at your garden. It's the highest accolade in the garden industry.”Maggie said it was very satisfying when they handed the gold.
She said: “For me it was a almost like an enormous sense of relief.”The tranquil surrounds of their homes in south-west Wales inspired the design, which featured a dilapidated boat house in the background surrounded by wild and cultivated gardens.
They developed the idea in August and entered the detailed application in October and were one of 10 selected for the Artisan category. Once accepted the meticulous planning began, which included timing the growth of the plants to bloom during the Show.
With only 10 days to recreate the Welsh ambience in Chelsea, the duo were flat out during the final preperations. During the preparations they were moving as many as 1500 plants from the shade to sunlight in a bid to have them ready for the show.