Tuberous Sclerosis garden wins gold at flower show

A garden that was designed to raise awareness for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association has won a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Jen Donnelly and Catherine Gibbon volunteer at Amersham Hospital in Buckinghamshire and rejuvenate the gardens used by staff and patients.

Their "Room to Breathe" garden was inspired by Ms Donnelly's experiences waiting in hospitals for her 15-year-old son Alex, who has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, to have surgery.

After the flower show, the garden will be moved to Amersham Hospital, which will become its permanent home.

Tuberous sclerosis is a rare genetic condition that causes mainly benign tumours to develop in different parts of the body, such as the brain, heart, and lungs.

Ms Donnelly recalled: "My memory is sitting on a plastic chair in a clinical corridor waiting for news of his operations.

"I thought, wouldn't it have been amazing to have a little space outside space. I could've gone to [it] to escape, have a moment to yourself.

"So we've created this little corner of a hospital courtyard where a parent could go to and have that moment to themselves."

The design won its trophy in the Balcony and Container Garden category.

It was created with planting containers off the ground, at various heights, in a 12 square-meter space.

A "cocoon-like hanging chair" was included, which Ms Gibbon said evoked the feeling of having "a nice hug you really need when you're in hospital".

During the show, the garden was visited by celebrities such as actor Sir David Suchet, Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova and singer Alexandra Burke.

Ms Donnelly said: "David Suchet was so lovely and spent so much time with us, talking to the public about why it was important to raise awareness about the condition.

The Poirot actor has regularly supported the charity in public.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.