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Southport Flower Show 17-19th August 2000 The Competition Gardens Rock and Water

This is the winning entry in the Rock and Water section of the competition. It was designed by Rob Showering of Barton, near Ormskirk and features colourful planting against a background of pennine grit stone and tumbling water.

The balance between planting and rockscape is always a difficult one, especially when the stone being used is as attractrive as this iron-stained pennine grit, but this garden has achieved that balance by having delicate planting in all the right places. There's not too much rock, and there's not too much planting, it's a true delight and worthy winner.

Runner-up in this category is this garden by Peter Tinsley Landscapes. A very strong design, with water cascading over a slate wall into a rectangular pool edged with blue slate. Huge chunks of the blue stone are used as menhirs mixed into the subdued planting, and a classic Italian feel is enhanced by the pencil thin conifers reaching for the sky.

The blue slate has also been used as a mulch to the beds, and the wrought iron and timber bench invites you to sit and contemplate. This is a very quiet garden, a place to meditate and relax. The blue stone refected in the water seems to slow the heart rate by at least 10 beats per minute, and it's very tempting just to sit down on that bench and spend the day being busy doing nothing.

Third place in the Rock and Water category goes to this creation by Designer Landscapes. The planting is sparse, far more 'alpine' in appearance that the winning design, and the rock used is not quite as colourful. To me, it seemed that there is too much 'scree' and not enough planting in this scheme, which makes the rock the dominant feature, to the detriment of the clever and tasteful planting.

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