Centrepoint garden wins coveted award at Chelsea Flower Show

Garden designer David Arkin with Centrepoint ambassador and Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins

Centrepoint’s striking ‘continuous learning’ garden is made entirely of edible plants, including vegetables such as lettuces, olives and rhubarb and herbs such as coriander. It was recognised for successfully highlighting sustainability through its ‘grow what you eat’ theme, maximising  growing space and its constant, efficient water management system.

Proud garden designer David Arkin, who is studying garden design at Capel Manor College, and exhibiting his first ever show garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show said:

“It is a huge honour for me and to everyone involved in the garden to be recognised at such an acclaimed gardening event as the Chelsea Flower Show and amongst such a high standard of garden.

Stephen Fry visits the Centrepoint garden

The Centrepoint garden has been a combined effort from The National Trust, Capel Manor College and young people from Centrepoint who produced a large number of the vegetables used in the garden and worked so hard during their residential courses at Scotney Castle. I hope they feel proud of their achievements and take that feeling forward with them in life”.

A young person receiving support from Centrepoint meets Moira Stewart

At press day, the first day of the Chelsea Flower Show, Centrepoint’s garden proved a huge hit with visitors admiring the garden and meeting garden designer David, a young person living with Centrepoint, James, and ambassador of the charity, Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins. Amongst many, visitors included actor, comedian and author Stephen Fry and newsreader Moira Stewart.

See the garden take shape from start to finish here