Anglesey gardener wins top award at Chelsea Show

Medwyn Williams described this year's Chelsea Show as "phenomenal"

A gardener from Anglesey has won the Chelsea Flower Show's top award.

Medwyn Williams, from Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, received the President's Award for the best display in the show with a 42-variety vegetable arrangement.

He also collected his 11th gold medal at the event in London.

Mr Williams had the help of his son and grandson to produce the 20ft-long display.

Finishing touches

"It's a special morning for me, my family and for all the people who've helped," he said.

"It does look good, I must say. The display has over 150 vegetable dishes, which includes 42 different types of vegetables.

"The celery has come up really well; it shines like a light over the display.

"Gwenda, my wife, gave the display the finishing touches. She's got a good eye.

"This is the gardeners' Olympic Games and to get this recognition is something special."

The huge display contains a range of unusual varieties such as blue potatoes, scarlet turnips and a new thin-skinned cucumber.

Entries are judged on appearance, quality and innovation.

Mr Williams told BBC Radio Wales that winning his 11th gold was as good as collecting his first.

"They all feel good," he said. "I just hope it's not another cut glass thing because my household contents insurance will go up again!

"The display is like a mirror image from the centre out, and in the middle is the proudest thing of all, the Welsh leek."

"We also have a new cucumber; a lot of people have an aversion to eating the skin of cucumbers but this new cucumber, which will be out in 2011, has a very thin skin, so you wouldn't know you were eating the skin."

Heart shape

Mr Williams has had time to enjoy the rest of the show, including a hand-stitched display from Thailand.

"It has single petals of orchids forming a heart shape, and each one has been stitched on," he said.

"It's a phenomenal Chelsea, the president said yesterday it was the best Chelsea ever.

Mr Williams has a triple reason to celebrate this year, as his son has left the army after a 22-year-career and his grandson is about to start horticultural college.

"We had three generations working on the display," he said.

Mr Williams is waiting to find out if he will meet the Queen later in the show, an honour usually given to the winner of the Presidents' Award.

Dibleys Nursery, of Ruthin, Denbighshire, are also celebrating after a double win at the show.

Staff took home their 21st gold medal and the inaugural Plant of the Year award for Streptocarpus Harlequin Blue, bred by Lynne Dibley.