In the autumn of 2001, Wicklow-based garden designer Mary Reynolds (left) approached Mike and Christy Collard (centre and right) of Future Forests to see if they would be willing to get involved in the planting and construction of her show garden at the 2002 Chelsea Flower Show. Mary had met the Collards at the 1999 Mallow Garden Festival and in the meantime had submitted a successful proposal for a 'Celtic Sanctuary' garden to the organisers of Chelsea. Needless to say, Mike and Christy took up her offer. Stone, hawthorn trees and wildflowers were carefully transported from West Cork to central London, a small army of Future Forests workers set up camp in a little flat in Marble Arch for several weeks, and Mary's vision of an enchanted Irish wildflower garden gradually became a Gold Medal-winning reality.

A webpage about the garden from Design By Nature's "All Go Wild" site

Sandro Cafolla's personal reply to the press releases about the Show and the general theme that wildflowers are currently 'in fashion!'

Dermott O'Neill Online's piece on the garden

The Guardian online article