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Southport Flower Show 17-19th August 2000 The Competition Gardens - Villa Gardens

Winner of the Large Gold Award in this category is this wonderful creation by Aughton Green Landscapes. I really liked this garden. A strong design with a pretty water feature and a raised gazebo that dominates the rest of the garden. The planting was in balance with the lawn and the paving, the gazebo created a focal point with echoes of Old India and The Raj. Other details filled the garden with interest and created a very intruguing garden. Some lovely paving, with cleaned Indian flagstones giving onto a winding path built from deep red, hand-made clay pavers that leads up to the gazebo, with the lawn on one side and the water on the other.

Typical of the detail in this garden are these amazing fossils which lay embedded within the stone for millions of years before being exposed in these stunning flagstones imported from India.

Proud designer and creator, Harry Levy, seen here with his partner and the well-deserved trophy, has mixed plants and materials from all parts of the world in this garden. Chinese bamboo, American Yellow Pine for the gazebo, hand-made bricks from Yorkshire, plants from Australasia and elsewhere all combine magnificently to create this embodiment of the Show's chosen theme, "The World in Your Garden".

Lots of twee British touches in this villa garden by Russell Watkinson brought his design the runners-up spot in the Villa Gardens competition. The old red telephone box, the lamp column, york stone paths, a charming water pump feature and the mandatory stripy lawn. It is a strange garden that appears plain and ordinary upon first glance, but there has obviously been a lot of thought put into choice and positioning of plants.

Another traditional layout, with a pergola covered patio area, built by BG Fencing Ltd. This garden has obviously been designed for a family, as there is an adventure-filled play area to the rear, complete with see-saw hewn from tree trunk, and the obligatory kid's den. Not much planting to speak of, which is a weakness of this garden. Definitely one for the low-maintenance 'sunday' gardeners of the world.

A traditional garden from Greg Mook Gardens Ltd. with a rectangular lawn surrounded by classically planted beds and this small patio area tucked into one corner. As with a lot of the gardens on show, wrought iron patio furniture seems to be de rigeur, along with riven paving. The planting in this garden is simple but interesting - not so demanding that it distracts from the rest of the garden, but certainly worthy of a closer look by the keen plantsman.

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