Gill Dawson and Lesley Roberts, of Pop's Plants. DA7991P002DOWNTON auricula growers Lesley Roberts and Gil Dawson, of Pop's Plants, won silver-gilt flora at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

It is the auricula specialists' third consecutive year at Chelsea, where they won gold last year, but the Downton couple were more than happy with the silver-gilt award this year.

"We are quite delighted," said Ms Roberts, who was also happy that the weather was cold and wet in London, as, she said, "the plants prefer it".

Ornamental grass-growers Knoll Gardens, of Hampreston, near Wimborne, won gold again, for the fourth consecutive year.

Owner Neil Lucas, who has featured with his award-winning grasses on BBC television's Gardeners' World, was a very happy man on Tuesday.

Exhibiting for the first time at Chelsea as Berrington Designs, bespoke timber garden building designer Jo Berrington, of Steeple Langford, has actually built a garden office within the showground.

The former St Edmund's School pupil operates from a converted barn on the Fonthill estate and began her designing career with the help of the Prince's Trust five years ago.

Television's Moira Stewart, an ambassador of the Prince's Trust, was at the show to wish Jo luck and told the Journal that Jo had done well to secure a place at the show on her first application.

Another first-timer at the show, glass and mirror sculptor Rebecca Newnham, has two things to celebrate.

Not only is she exhibiting her glass sculpture and mirrored outdoor furniture in a garden setting but two of her sculptures, Berry and Reed, were chosen by garden designer Chris Beardshaw's award-winning show garden, the Trailfinders Recycled Garden.

Rebecca said: "I am really flattered that Chris Beardshaw is using my sculptures in his garden to complement the planting."

Chelsea Flower Show veterans Hillier Nurseries Ltd, of Romsey, were seeking their 60th consecutive RHS gold medal.

They not only achieved this but also received the prestigious President's Award, given annually to an exhibitor in the great floral pavilion as the personal favourite of the RHS president.

Many people regard Chelsea Flower Show as something of a trendsetter in the gardening world.

If this year's show is anything to go by, gardens will be full of purple blooms this summer, as the colour seems to feature in almost all the show gardens.