The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Poet-inspired garden wins a Chelsea gold
THE garden Peterborough City Council has pinpointed to bring to the city has won its designer a gold award at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.
Adam Frost, from Stamford, has won his fourth gold at the Chelsea Flower Show for his entry “A Rural Muse”.
The city council has expressed an interest in buying the garden, however it could very well end up in Clare Cottage, Helpston, as Mr Frost’s entry was inspired by the walks of the peasant poet John Clare.
Adam, of Mason Drive, Stamford, said: “I’m overwhelmed. Chelsea is the biggest event of the gardening calendar and to win gold for a show garden is about as good as it gets.
“It has been a really tough year, first with the drought and then the cold spring.
“Work on the garden went right down to the wire but it has all been worth it now.”
Sara Blair-manning, chief executive for the John Clare Trust, hopes the garden will promote interest in the John Clare Cottage heritage centre.
She said: “We are delighted that Clare’s landscapes and life experiences have been translated into a beautifully planted and designed garden.
“We hope people will be inspired to find out more about Clare, his life and his surroundings and will visit the Peterborough area with all the wonderful heritage and countryside that it has to offer.
“The Chelsea Flower Show is a fantastic platform for the trust and the cottage, as well as John Clare himself and his poetry.
“We see it as a really good springboard for Peterborough, and hopefully inspiring this great garden will make more people aware of his relationship with the city.
“Our intention is to have the garden at Clare Cottage and we have been in consultation with the gar- den designer about that for around a year.”
Peterborough City Council had also expressed an interest in buying the garden for £47,000 after the exhibition finishes.
Marco Cereste said: “I’m delighted to hear that the garden has been awarded gold.
“We are still keen to bring the garden to the city and we’re actively trying to secure some private funding so that we can do this without impacting the public purse.”
The Chelsea Flower Show runs until Friday at Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and will have an estimated 200,000 visitors.
Mr Frost was not the only local success story, after Sophie Allport from Langtoft was awarded a “Certificate of Commendation” for her kitchenware stand.
She said: “The business is so excited to be exhibiting at the show again and to receive an accolade like this is amazing. We won a certificate in 2011 too so we’re absolutely delighted to win again.”