Lancashire garden designer to unveil RAF-themed entry at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

A garden designer from Chorley has created the RAF Benevolent Fund's first ever garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
John Everiss from ChorleyJohn Everiss from Chorley
John Everiss from Chorley

John Everiss has created an entry which will feature a sculpture of a young pilot looking up at the sky.

Standing at four metres tall and constructed from 1,200 layers of laser cut stainless steel, the state-of-the-art sculpture will be imposing and a moving tribute to all those who have served and continue to serve in the RAF.

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The garden has been designed to allow visitors to sit and reflect on the service and sacrifice of all the RAF and civilian personnel and it is hoped it will inspire viewers to look into their own history and speak to family and friends about their connections to the RAF.

>>>Click here to see more of John's work from previous Chelsea Flower Shows.

Johns said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the RAF Benevolent Fund on our Chelsea Garden 2022. My father was an RAF navigator during WW2, so I have grown up hearing the amazing stories of veterans and their families.

“As a member of the RAF Family, the opportunity to be able to thank them and highlight the fantastic work the charity does is a privilege for me and my team, we really can't wait to get going!”

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John’s father Stan, a navigator on Stirling bombers, survived after being shot down over occupied France in 1943. After being hidden by local resistance fighters he was eventually guided over the Pyrenees and eventually reunited with his family after four months.

John's own family ties were reflected in his 2015 Chelsea Flower Show garden ‘The Evader’, which was dedicated to his father.

John was also the brains behind the Garden of Reflection at Astley Park’s Walled Garden, created in 2018 to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War.

"Incredibly grateful"

Jason Shauness, director of fundraising and communications at the RAF Benevolent Fund said: “This is such an exciting opportunity for the RAF Benevolent Fund and we are incredibly grateful to Project Giving Back and the RHS for making it happen.

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"We’ve had a tough couple of years but we are excited to be able to share our journey with our supporters and the general public. We are delighted to be working with award-winning garden designer John Everiss whose father served in the RAF.”

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from May 24 to 28. After that, the garden will be relocated to a permanent site at London Biggin Hill Airport.

Funding

Funding for the garden is being provided by Project Giving Back, a new support scheme enabling charities to create a garden at the world-renowned show.

Project Giving Back is the vision of two private individuals who want to offer a significant springboard to a wide range of charitable causes whose work has suffered during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

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Established and emerging designers, landscapers and nurseries will be teamed with a range of UK charitable organisations to help raise awareness of the diverse and varied way they support people, plants and the planet. In 2022, 2023 and 2024,

Project Giving Back will support 14 charitable organisations each year with funding and experienced advice to create a range of gardens at the show.

For more information about the garden or how the Fund supports the RAF Family, click here.

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