Sparsholt College wins gold for foraging garden at Chelsea

A horticultural college's garden inspired by medieval foraging cook books has won a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The Rustic Recipes Reimagined garden is the work of Sparsholt College, near Winchester, Hampshire.

Students collaborated with experts on its design and worked with chefs to compile recipes from foraged produce.

Lecturer Chris Bird said he hoped it would encourage people to use their "local larder" and to eat seasonally.

The garden has four areas - a fruit grove with beehive, a modern potager with storage shed, a flint well garden and a preparation arbour with seating - all divided by hedgerows to provide shelter for wild animals.

Mr Bird said: "A lot of people don't use their local larder because of identification problems so that is one of our main aims - you need to know the identity of the plant you are dealing with.

"We really want to get the message out to eat what is in season and change your diet as the seasons roll around. We need to embrace each season of the year."

Student Charlotte Cole said: "It's my first time here and I am beyond excited and I feel so proud of everything the team have been doing to get this stand ready."

The garden has been awarded a gold medal and Best Discovery Exhibit at the annual show, which runs until Saturday.

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