A landscape designer from Dundalk was awarded a Silver Flora medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in London yesterday, writes Sarah Marriott in London.
Mr Paul Martin said he was "delighted" to win a medal for his Lazy Salad Days Garden, in the Chic Garden section of the show.
The surprise of the walled garden is that it is planted with vegetables as well as flowers, grasses and an olive tree. In a 5 metre by 4.5 metre space, Mr Martin successfully creates a relaxing yet practical and contemporary outdoor living room.
Two teak sun loungers, with drink holders conveniently nearby, float above a dense carpet of 25 different salad stuffs and culinary herbs. Behind the loungers, which can move along a steel rail to follow the sun, is a raised bed planted in muted creams, greys and purples, including Dryas Octepetala "Burren nymph", a rare flower discovered in the Burren in 1997 and on its first outing from Ireland.
Mr Martin sourced Irish materials: the steps and lower level are paved in a Donegal sandstone; the plants come from Flit Schram nursery in Co Kildare; the glasses were designed specially by Jerpoint in Co Kilkenny, and the pots by Christine Hughes in Dublin.
Mr Martin, who has been designing gardens for 17 years, hopes Lazy Salad Days will inspire Irish gardeners: "It's as trendy to grow salad and herbs as it is to cook them." The feedback from visitors was "massive", he said.