GARDEN: Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
BILLINGSHURST-based garden designer Chris Burns, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, has created a senses garden for the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (July 7-12) with less able people in mind.
Three charities will be promoted on the stand – the MS Society, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and the National Blind Children's Society.
Chris, 45, turned to local companies for support, including AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd for all the timber on the stand and the Camelia Botnar Foundation for the special clay materials being used.
Among the 1,500 plants on the stand – chosen for fragrance, feel and sound (rustling in the breeze) - will be roses grown by UK Roses Ltd.
"Having suffered from MS myself for 23 years, I have an instinct for
what people with a disability want from a garden," says Chris, who is being helped on the project by his garden design colleague Marianne Luckham, who was on the same Brinsbury College course which awarded them the City and Guilds advanced national certificate in horticulture.
Also building the Hampton Court garden is construction manager Laurie Barker with other helpers including Chris's wife, Susan.
Chris and Susan, who met while they were working for the same IT company, have three children, James, 19, Vikki, 17, and Bea, 14, who are all students at the Weald College in Billingshurst, where the family live.
Chris added: "I have always been an artist and artistic endeavours in painting, IT software creation and garden design have all been put to use over the years.
"I really wanted to do a garden for Hampton Court because I had seen what others did during my many visits to the show. The RHS have been very supportive."
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Weather for Lewes
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: -5 C to 1 C
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