RNLI Portishead inspires Chelsea Flower Show garden
Designer Chris Beardshaw, left, has been inspired by RNLI Portishead for his garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. - Credit: Helen Lazenby/RNLI
Volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) Portishead charity have helped inspire the design for an exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The RNLI Garden is set to be unveiled at the show next month and its creator admitted to taking inspiration from the seaside town.
Award-winning designer Chris Beardshaw, visited Portishead's lifeboat station last year when researching ideas for the garden and spoke to volunteers about what the charity means to them.
Mr Beardshaw said: "I have dived and sailed for much of my life and the RNLI is a charity very dear to me, but speaking to the Portishead volunteers really brought home to me what an incredible job the RNLI does.
"Much of their work is unseen by most of us, being carried out quietly and modestly by volunteer crews and lifeguards, but the result is astonishing – thousands of people aided every year, families reunited and many more helped with safety advice.
"The Portishead crew brought that to life, providing the foundation for my design and helping me create a garden which, hopefully, will do the RNLI proud."
Chris returned to North Somerset to reveal his plans for the garden.
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The garden will debut at the Chelsea Flower Show on May 24 and members of the RNLI Portishead crew have been honoured to play a part in its creation.
A design for the RNLI Garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. - Credit: @freehandlines
Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Dave Slack said: "The way Chris has interpreted what we told him and found a way to represent the work of the RNLI in his beautiful garden design is really incredible.
"The understated style and colours of the garden is just right for the way our volunteers go about their work – we are very proud of what we do, but we’re not in your face about it."
This will be the first time the RNLI has had a Show Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
The show will run from May 24 - 28.
