A garden inspired by the story of a First World War soldier has been awarded a Gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The entry submitted by Sussex garden design company Nature Redesigned represents the real-life story of a potter who went to fight in 1914, leaving behind his kiln and his workshop.

The piece also features a sandbag wall scattered with bullet casings, a water feature with a World War One helmet and broken pottery path which makes a crunching soundwhen walked on to represent the marching feet of soldiers.

Emma Page of Nature Redesigned said: “It’s a very naturalist garden which tells a very poignant story.

“Visitors to the show really get it – a lot of people have been very moved by it.”

It took Nature Redesigned, based in Heathfield, East Sussex, 10 months to create the DialAFlight Potter’s Garden in a specially constructed workshop in Burwash, Rother.

The garden was then transported piece by piece to a 7m by 4.5m plot at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, where it took eight days to put back together.

Entries were judged on Monday by a Royal Horticultural Society panel.

Mrs Page said: “Waiting to hear the judges’ decision was nerve-wracking but we knew that we had done all we could. We had our fingers crossed but we knew that we had done something special – we are really, really pleased with our garden.”

The garden is home to a pear tree, a multi-stemmed hawthorn tree, geraniums and nectaroscordum, among other plants and flowers.

Mrs Page said: “Many of the plants we have used are particularly beefriendly.

We wanted to encourage as much wildlife as possible into the garden, and it has worked. There are bees and butterflies everywhere.”

There were seven entries in the Artisan Garden category, of which one other also received Gold.

Mrs Page said: “The garden remembers the war in a way which people can achieve in their own homes.

“The most rewarding thing has been reactions of the visitors who have given us such lovely compliments.”

See natureredesigned.co.uk for more details.