Wiltshire garden designer wins a spot at prestigious flower show (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Wiltshire garden designer wins a spot at prestigious flower show

4:08pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in News

Wiltshire garden designer Robert Kennett has beaten hundreds of design entries nationwide to win show garden space at this year's RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, running from July 3-8.

Working from Pythouse Kitchen Garden, an 18th century walled garden near Tisbury, Robert has created a garden design to support Amnesty International’s Butterflies of Hope campaign for oppressed women in Nicaragua.

Highlighting women's rights in one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, the campaign has resulted in people of all ages and from all over the world sending thousands of personalised butterflies, either on paper or online, as a sign of hope.

The ‘conceptual’ garden designed by Robert features a large pink cube containing tropical planting and hundreds of live tropical butterflies.

At its heart is a frangipani plant, the national flower of Nicaragua, which is wreathed in barbed wire to suggest inner pain. Around the cube 'wings' of billowing soft grasses represent freedom.

Robert’s dream nearly foundered when the original sponsor pulled out. But a local couple acting as anonymous benefactors came forward.

Robert said: "I can’t thank my sponsors enough. Without their support this dream would have stayed on paper.”

Naomi McAuliffe, Amnesty International UK’s Poverty and Human Rights Campaign Manager said: "This is a fantastic and creative way to raise awareness about our work in Nicaragua.

"Butterflies have been a theme of this campaign with supporters sending butterflies of solidarity to women’s organisations in Nicaragua who are working hard on the issue of sexual violence against women and girls in a hostile political environment. I look forward to sharing this current project with them.”

Robert works for private individuals across the south west and London from a restored shepherd's hut.

With more than 80 garden designs to his credit, ranging in size from small backyards to those over two acres in size, Robert says his clients share a common need for "beautiful gardens created with a considered, thoughtful approach for enduring appeal."