PASSION and determination have led to an Upavon flower grower scooping a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week.

Sara Willman, 43, began growing flowers on a 300m square patch, and eight years later grows British flowers on over a third of a hectare of land in Upavon.

Working with flower growers from across the county as part of the Flowers from the Farm group, she set up and presented a stand with a team of 22 other volunteers and wowed the judges.

Flowers from the Farm was set up eight years ago and now has 500 members, which range from florists who grow their own British flowers to use in displays, to farmers who have fields of land all growing British flowers.

For the show she brought along Allium, Bistort, Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest’ and ornamental grasses.

Mrs Willman aid: “It was an out-of-this-world experience, we were in the Chelsea bubble and working from 6.30am to 9pm at night so it was hard but amazing.

“We saw lots of celebrities walking round, Alan Titchmarsh, Jo Whiley and Phillip Schofield were all there and Jonathan Moseley and Simon Lycett were both interested in our display.

“I’m also a supporter of the Bee Road project and we grow in as natural a way as possible. When we cut our flowers we always leave some so that the butterflies and bees have something to visit.

“Apparently as my son was being driven home from school yesterday he was shouting out the window that his mum’s is a gold medal winner!”

Although at some points she thought the project would not make it to the show, she has not ruled out returning to Chelsea Flower Show in the future.

Mrs Willman is the owner of My Flower Patch, which creates bespoke bouquets and her flowers can be bought from the Upavon village shop in bouquets and posies.