A GARDEN aimed at showcasing Yorkshire to the world has scooped the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The 2019 Welcome to Yorkshire garden, designed by Mark Gregory from Landform Consultants, is inspired by Yorkshire’s rich industrial heritage and celebrates the country’s canals and waterways, natural environment, green spaces and gardens.

The aim of the garden is to showcase the region and encourage people to visit Yorkshire and explore it for themselves.

Mr Gregory said:“Wow, I’m blown away, it’s such an honour to have received this award again, and for my 99th Chelsea garden too. It’s a privilege to have been able to share the place I call home with the world and it seems that people love Yorkshire as much as I do, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who voted."

Welcome to Yorkshire’s Commercial Director Peter Dodd said:“We’re thrilled to have won the People’s Choice Award and want to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us. The reaction we’ve had from the public to this year’s garden has been phenomenal, with some people even moved to tears by Marks’ fantastically authentic creation.

“The reason we come to Chelsea is to showcase Yorkshire to the world and encourage people to visit and I know Mark’s garden has done just that with thousands inspired to explore our canals and waterways or to visit one of our many stunning gardens.

“By the end of the event we’ll have given out 40 thousand copies of our brand-new garden guide that’s packed full of information on the best green spaces to visit in the county. The latest figures show gardens keep on growing in popularity as attractions with more and more people visiting them, and we really do have the cream of the crop here in Yorkshire.”