Three British charities are set to benefit thanks to donations from home improvement company Everest following a visitor vote at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show earlier this month.
TV gardener David Domoney was commissioned by Everest to create three front garden displays at the show. Each of the garden displays was specially designed to reflect a charity nominated by TV personalities Bill Oddie, Julia Bradbury and Carol Klein - all of whom were participating in the RHS Celebrity Theatre at the event. In addition, each of the garden displays included an attractive front door and window from Everest's wide range of products.
Visitors to the show were invited to vote for their favourite front garden display, with almost 2,500 votes cast in total. Carol Klein's nominated charity, Mesothelioma UK, was the clear winner with nearly 1,700 votes. As a result the charity, which supports people with asbestos-related cancer, will receive a £4,000 donation from Everest. In addition, the other two charities involved - The Woodland Trust, chosen by Bill Oddie and Mend our Mountains, selected by Julia Bradbury - will each receive a £2,000 donation.
The winning Mesothelioma UK front garden display shows a direct contrast between its two sides, with the design reflecting the support that Mesothelioma UK brings to those suffering from asbestos-related cancer, specifically those in the merchant navy. On one side, a border brims with lush planting of flowers and shrubs, representing life before mesothelioma. This stands in stark contrast to the other, predominantly lawn side. A series of concentric rings in the lawn, with a propeller water feature in the middle, resemble the fluidity of life and the sea. Surrounding this is a circular border of planting and engraved forget-me-nots, a symbol of Mesothelioma UK, reminding people to think of this cancer and the dedicated nurses the charity provides to its sufferers. A sweeping path invites onlookers to travel between the two sides.
I wanted to capture two sides of life, one symbolising the passing of time without illness, using a curved path to give you the longest route. The other, representing illness, suggests the moments of peace and tranquillity that life gives us among its challenges. All gardens can stir emotions and help us to appreciate the value of life while we are close to nature.David Domoney
David's design captured the impact so well; it was a design to which we could all relate and one that we would all love to replicate in our own gardens.
We feel so honoured to have our garden voted for by the public. The fight against this asbestos-related cancer of mesothelioma is a particularly worthy cause as it's a quiet public health disaster, causing unnecessary devastation on a large scale.
Many thanks to David, Everest and Carol Klein for their support, and to everyone who voted. It's much appreciated by UK patients and their families.Liz Darlison, Head of Services at Mesothelioma UK