A LOCAL landscape designer will be showcasing his latest garden at a popular flower show this week.

Joe Francis, co-founder of Gardens for Good, based in Cumnor, has designed a garden to show how nature can help those with mental health problems.

The garden, which has been named ‘Calm Amidst Chaos’, will feature at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival - previously known as RHS Hampton Court Flower show - this week.

Around the outside of the garden, there are bricks, debris and harsh-looking objects to reflect the ‘stressful’ world we live in and the trials people going through such as war, illness, financial problems and death.

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Then, as you step deeper into the garden, it becomes a ‘physical calm space’ with greenery, trees, flowers and a water feature.

This year, RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival has a theme of exploring the positive effects that plants can have on health and wellbeing.

Mr Francis aims to promote the message that creating an inner sense of peace can be a powerful way to manage our daily lives better.

The gardener said: “There’s an epidemic in mental health problems at the moment and by creating this garden we are recognising that. Nature has healing elements and can help those who are struggling.

“I want people to know that gardens can be a sanctuary for mental health and there should be more places like this. It’s important to give yourself time to relax.”

The 38-year-old, who is from Oxford, has been a gardener and landscaper for 16 years with his wife, Sinead, and has been running his business for 14 years.

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The Calm Amidst Chaos garden is dedicated to suicide charity, Maytree House, in London. The charity provides a home for people in suicidal crisis so that they can talk to people about their suicidal thoughts and get the help that they need.

Mr Francis said: “There will be opportunities to donate to Maytree at the show but the main purpose of the garden being dedicated to them is to raise awareness about them.”

The couple built the garden together along with their team as well as volunteers.

There will be ten people manning the exhibition this week who will talk to visitors about the message it has been designed to send.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival provides people with garden inspiration, floral displays as well as workshops, talks and demonstrations from garden experts.

It starts on Tuesday, July 2 and finishes on Friday, July 7.