Chelsea Flower Show medal for Rutland designer's bird garden
Ms Oakey said she wanted to include three elements, "shelter, water and food that are instrumental to birds' lives" in her garden. "My design is inspired by the movement and perspective of a bird, foraging for food and water while moving between points of safety and shelter."Two pathways weave between layers of planting, mimicking how birds prefer to move through a network of cover," she said.Ms Oakey said the garden featured a birdhouse den made from reclaimed materials, with bird-friendly planting which provides natural sources of food and nesting material.
'Family tradition'
Ms Oakey said her parents were florists and avid orchid growers, who had won seven gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show previously. She said: "It's just lovely to be able to follow in their footsteps. "It's exciting to follow the family tradition and come to Chelsea."
Once the Chelsea Flower show has finished, Ms Oakey says the whole garden will be relocated. "We're taking it on a lorry up to Hull to its permanent home with the Neighbourhood Network Charity, who manage a bustling community centre, based in Bransholme."It currently doesn't have an outside space, so it'll create a lovely place for people to sit and an oasis for birds in the city," she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man, 90, gets floral clock cuckoo wish after 30 year wait
In 1995, teacher George Thomson took his P7 class more than 100 miles from their school in Aberdeen to see the wooden cuckoo at Edinburgh's famous floral much to his horror, when they got there they discovered the clock wasn't working and they wouldn't get to see the life-sized bird "pop out" of its after three decades George has asked his son to take him back to see the cuckoo as his 90th birthday wish."I've been telling this story for the last 30 years and it's given friends and family a laugh over the years but if I didn't see it today I was going to go cuckoo myself so I'm highly delighted that I've now been able to see it," the great grandfather-of-eight told BBC Scotland. Edinburgh's floral clock is the oldest of its kind in the world and was first planted in 1903 with the cuckoo being added in mechanical bird marks every 15 minutes by popping out of its box and saying "cuckoo".George, who had taken his class from Seaton School in Aberdeen, said he was so intently watching for the cuckoo to appear that he hadn't noticed the clock wasn't working at the time as it was being repaired."I was telling all the kids to keep an eye on the wee house but one of the pupils kept tugging on my arm and asked me why the clock had no arms."That's when it dawned on me it wasn't working and I had to quickly tell the kids 'right, it's teatime' instead."Luckily, not one of them complained that I had been mistakenly looking for this cuckoo when the clock was being repaired." George, his partner Lilian Wyness, 66, and his son, also called George, finally made the trip to see the cuckoo at the clock on ranger Ricki Keenan also met the family to give them some history about the floral clock, which is in West Princes Street Gardens, is made up of more than 35,000 flowers and plants and will be in bloom until junior said: "He's told this story over the years because there were no hands on the clock and it's just that moment when the penny drops and having to deal with the disappoint of the kids."It's been a favourite family story, the cuckoo story, so when he said on his 90th birthday in June that it was his birthday wish to see it, I thought I would take him down after double checking online that it was now working." George jnr also read out a poem he had written for the trip:Cuck-ooMr Thomson stood with his class in line,By Princes Street Gardens' floral clock—lookin' a rush it was to get them all there,"Keep yer eyes on the prize, and dinnae you dare!"As the half hour approached, expectations were lit,"Concentrate everyone, or you'll miss-it!The cuckoo's a legend—dinnae blink or talk,It peeks oot for a second, and calls cuck-oo from the clock!"The pupils waited, all breath held ticht,Edinburghers wondered at the curious all was still, you could hear a pin drop,No twitch, no sound, no cuckoo pop!Alas one observant loon gave a shout,"Mr Thomson - will it still come out……If there's no hands on the clock!!!?"For an instant - George was in the dock!He gave the scene a second glance,As if the wee birdie still hid a he, without skipping a beat—his usual show…"Good question, loon— Tea-time—time tae go!" George junior said it was a delightful moment seeing his dad finally meeting the cuckoo."It was so funny because while he was waiting for it to come out I could see the bird in the shadow of the box looking in the direction of my dad and my dad looking towards it."It was like an unrequited love, like brothers who hadn't met for 30 years. They had never met before that kind of sentiment, for me, and out it comes and that's it and he's seen it and we can now all rest."George senior said: "It was worth the wait and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the cuckoo coming out. I feel joy and happiness now I've seen it.
Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Jeff Lynne ‘gutted' to cancel shows as he recuperates following illness
has said he is now at home recuperating after cancelling the final shows of his farewell Electric Light Orchestra tour due to illness. The 77-year-old musician was forced to withdraw from BST Hyde Park on Sunday following advice from doctors, who have been treating him for a 'systemic infection'. Earlier that week, he had to cancel a Manchester show. The headline performance had been billed as a 'final goodbye' for the band following their farewell US tour, Over And Out. In a statement shared to social media on Thursday, Lynne said: 'I am now at home recuperating. 'I was absolutely gutted to have to cancel the final two shows. 'I send my heartfelt thanks to all of the fans as well as my band and crew for all their support and love.' His message follows the decision by BST organisers to cancel the entire day's event at Hyde Park after ELO's withdrawal. Ticket holders are being refunded and were contacted directly by ticket agents. An earlier statement from the festival said Lynne was 'heartbroken' to miss the show, and would not be rescheduling as he focuses on recovery. It comes after the band – known for their 1970s hits including Mr Blue Sky, Livin' Thing and Telephone Line – also pulled out of a performance in Manchester on July 10. ELO first formed in Birmingham in 1970 and were known for blending orchestral arrangements with futuristic rock. The group split in 1986 but was revived by Lynne in 2014, leading to a celebrated comeback set at BST Hyde Park that year. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and have had multiple UK chart-topping albums. Lynne was awarded an OBE in 2020 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.
Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Pete Wicks confesses he's had a 'tough week' as he's reunited with beloved dog Peggy after nearly 'losing her'
Pete Wicks revealed he has had a 'tough week' as he shared the shocking news that his beloved pet dog Peggy nearly died. The former TOWIE and Strictly star, 37, admitted that he was 'so happy' to have his French bulldog back home, before adding she still had a way to go and would be receiving months of treatment. Without going into the full details, Pete took to social media on Friday to update fans on his poorly pup. Posting a snap of him and Peggy sharing a cuddle, Pete wrote: 'So happy to get my Peggy back! 'It's been a tough week...I nearly lost her and she's bee through the wars but if ever there was a dog that never gives Peggy. 'We've got months of treatment ahead but she's got this.' In another post, Pete uploaded another picture of his adorable dog to his stories to show fans she was home. In a sweet black and white shot of Peggy lying on the sofa, Pete penned: 'A different kind of Friday night'. Pete owns two rescued French bulldogs - Eric and Peggy - who has one eye and he regularly posts about his love for them on social media. Speaking in an interview last year Pete admitted he preferred dogs to people. Pete's dog journey began when him and his mum adopted dog Arnie when he was just 10 years old. Then in 2016 he rescued Eric from the Dogs Trust centre in Basildon, Essex near where he grew up. It comes after Pete, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing last year recently revealed his Strictly pro partner Jowita Przystał has become 'one of the most important people in his life,' after his 'overwhelming' stint on the show. Peter was dubbed an unlikely signing when he took part in the BBC show last year, but became such a fan-favourite, he made it all the way to the semi-finals. Speaking to MailOnline, Pete himself admitted he thought he'd be the first celebrity to be voted off the show, having entered Strictly with zero dance experience. Admitting he never thought he would get to the semi-finals, Peter said he owed it all to Jowita. He said: 'A lot of that if I'm totally honest, is down to Jowita, she was the best partner I could have had, I was with her on Saturday night, she's become one of the most important in my life. She's one of my best mates, and I adore her.' During his time on Strictly, Pete took part in a string of light-hearted performances, including a viral Samba dressed as George Of The Jungle, and a hilarious Cha Cha Cha in Blackpool. He also paid tribute to his late Nan with an emotional Couples Choice, earning him a 10 from head judge Shirley Ballas. Having previously described his grandmother as his 'best friend,' the star also opened up her passing in his book Never Enough. Describing his Nan as his 'safety net,' Pete told MailOnline that he's made many changes in his life since her death in 2022. He said: 'Since I lost my Nan a few years ago, life has changed for me, and a lot of that was down to the fact that she was kind of a safety net for me, things change in your head and you have to kind of have a word with yourself in a way. 'The book was cathartic, it was something I wanted to do, because I don't think I'm the only one that feels the way I do in certain situations, it's got nothing to do with what I've been through, because everyone's been through different things. 'If you can put everyone's problems together in a pot, you'd probably be a lot happier just taking away the original problems you had, because there's so many people doing so many things, that's why I want it to be relatable to people.'
