A SCULPTOR from the Forest of Dean was proud to be part of a medal-winning team at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show for a ground-breaking garden which highlights global deforestation and social injustice.

Rob Olins, who lives near Elwood, was part of a project team that received a prestigious Silver Gilt Medal at the show in May, for the creation of a poignant show garden called ‘Hands Off Mangrove’.

The garden was designed by London-based horticulture firm Grow2Know, led by TV presenter Danny Clarke and ‘guerilla gardener’ and former professional footballer Tayshan Hayden-Smith, and was one of only three show gardens to win a Silver Gilt this year.

It is inspired by the real-life story of community activists the Mangrove Nine, who were tried and acquitted of inciting a riot in 1970 in response to a series of police raids in Notting Hill.

Rob’s sculpture of a deforested mangrove serves as both a tribute to the activists and “a stark reminder” of the impact mankind is having on the planet’s most important ecosystems, both locally and globally.

To honour each Mangrove Nine member, Rob created nine corten steel roots, which combine to form a “protective sanctuary” where communities can reconnect with each other and nature.

With the garden designed to be relocated into the community, a range of pollinator-friendly, edible, ornamental and architectural plants suited to inner-city landscapes were selected.

An “up-cycled” crushed concrete path runs through the garden’s centre to represent “the challenges and threats of racism, poverty and violence in 1960/70s London.”

Rob, who used to live in London for a time, got to know the Grow2Know team through his connections in the city and has now collaborated with them on various community garden projects.

On his involvement in the Chelsea project, Rob said: “Tayshan came to me and said they were going to do a garden at Chelsea, so I asked him to keep me in the loop.

“It was a great collaborative experience that was really interesting to be a part of.”

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which is held annually in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, remains one of the most famous and eagerly anticipated flower shows in the world.

From its humble beginnings in a small tent back in 1913, the show has grown into an international event featuring more than 500 exhibitors from all over the world, while continuing to proudly fly the flag for British horticulture.

The RHS describes Chelsea as “the place to see cutting-edge garden design, new plants and find ideas to take home” and “the ‘haute-couture’ of the international gardening scene.”