Local Garden designers harvest fruitful rewards at Chelsea Flower Show

Garden design company, Deakinlock Ltd, based at Earsham Hall near Bungay, have repeated their Chelsea success of last year, scooping another medal, this time a Silver Gilt, at the world famous Flower Show this week.

Designers Chris Deakin and Jason Lock created ‘A Fruitful Garden’ for Suffolk nursery John Woods as part of the Generations gardens category. Jason explains: “The garden is a continuation from last year’s theme - the premise being that the young upwardly mobile couple have moved on and the house is now owned by a retired couple who have moved from a much larger garden. “The new owners are keen gardeners, used to a larger garden. Now with a much smaller space they have endeavoured to introduce some of the favourite plants they used to grow but in a much more manageable way. The garden shows that even in a small area you can still grow fruit such as gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb, redcurrants, grapes, apples and pears as long as you choose the right varieties and plan carefully.

”We also wanted to add a sense of fun into the garden, with the use of hot colours that grab your attention, adds Chris. “However, when we had finished we realised that the garden needed something extra. We decided to visit Heals on the kings Road and found a fantastic cushion within their garden range which was a perfect colour match for our front door"!

Jason and Chris set up Deakinlock garden design in 2008 following successful careers at Notcutts landscapes. They believe their strength lies in the fact that their backgrounds are as much in horticulture as in garden design and construction, enabling them to design gardens that are not only aesthetically inspiring but also practical.

Chris and Jason are currently working on plans for a larger show garden for next year and are actively seeking sponsorship. Chris says: “We want to explore creating a Chelsea garden that reflects the environment in which we live and work, drawing on the fabric of the East Anglian landscape.” Both designers are fully registered members of the Society of Garden Designers and the British Institute of Landscape Industries.

For more information on Heals outdoor and garden range please go to www.heals.co.uk