On with the Flower Show as New Directions revisits Atlantis
DAY services for people with disabilities in Sefton are joining up to create a garden for this year’s Mediterranean- themed Southport Flower Show.
Following the success of their first entry, which won a silver medal at last year’s show, clients of the services – all run by New Directions, the borough’s leading social care provider – were determined to come up with something even bigger and better for this August.
The result will be the ambitious Lost Gardens of Atlantis entry, which will depict a new beginning for the fabled city which will be shown rising from the Mediterranean.
The garden will feature a sculpture of sea-god Poseidon, a scented front hedge and low-level feature planting designed to reflect the ebb and flow of waves.
The aim throughout will be on using recycled materials wherever possible, including fencing made from reclaimed pal- lets and a mosaic water feature created from broken tiles.
Organisers say that the Lost Gardens of Atlantis will aim to “intrigue and inspire”, and that various elements of the garden are now being created at New Directions sites in Sefton, with the support of the organisation’s maintenance team.
New Directions Business Development Manager Dave Hughes said: “Last year was the first time we entered South- port Flower Show and we didn’t know what to expect, so we were absolutely delighted when our Garden of the Blessed was recognised by the judges.
“That success has made everyone determined to do well again this year, with an even more ambitious concept for our garden.”
New Directions was established in Sefton in 2007 as the first local authority social care trading company in the country.