Writtle alumnus Jake Curley won a gold medal at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show for his first ever Show garden only two years after graduating.
Jake, who graduated with a degree in Landscape and Garden Design in 2015, was one of three finalists in the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition and struck gold for his garden Business and Pleasure.
The brief for the garden was an outdoor working space and Jake interpreted this in a naturalistic form where users could be surrounded by wildlife.
The 25-year-old, who lives in London, said: “Gaining inspiration from the prairie-style planting in the High Line in New York, I set out to achieve a garden that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
“The process started eight months ago when I submitted the design entry to the RHS. I was shortlisted and presented to a panel made up of award-winning garden designers and RHS show managers. I was chosen as one of the three finalists and the real planning for the garden began.
“I’m pleased to say Business and Pleasure was a visitor favourite at the Show. The bees and butterflies loved this garden as much as the visitors with many pollinator-friendly plants, the Echinops and Echinacea being firm favourites with the bees.
“I am very happy I have been able to fulfil an ambition of mine to create a Show garden so early on in my career, and to be awarded a gold medal makes it really special. I hope to create more in the future and carry on the success."
The garden was built by Evergreen Cheshire Ltd and sponsored by Deepdale Trees, which provided the Betula Trees; Living Green Design, which provided the bespoke water feature; and CED Aggregates, which provided gravel, pebbles and boulders.