Staff at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth are celebrating having picked up another accolade for their award-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden at the charity’s headquarters.

The garden which was re-built in Sidmouth picked up the prestigious prize in the 2021 Association of Professional Landscapers’ awards, which recognise landscaping projects that show technical and horticultural excellence. The Community Award that the ‘Donkeys Matter’ garden won recognises charitable and remembrance gardens.

Sidmouth Herald: The Donkeys Matter garden display at The Donkey SanctuaryThe Donkeys Matter garden display at The Donkey Sanctuary (Image: The Donkey Sanctuary)

The ‘Donkeys Matter’ garden was built to mark The Donkey Sanctuary’s 50th anniversary in 2019 and was designed to showcase the charity’s international work. Using water as its central theme, the garden demonstrates how owning a donkey means access to clean, fresh water for some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world.

Phil Treymayne, Manager, The Association of Professional Landscapers said: “The award judges who visited the ‘Donkeys Matter’ garden in Sidmouth were extremely impressed at the level of skill and attention to detail that had gone into the reconstruction.

Sidmouth Herald: The Donkeys Matter garden display at The Donkey SanctuaryThe Donkeys Matter garden display at The Donkey Sanctuary (Image: The Donkey Sanctuary)

“These are never very easy to do, and it was felt that the construction team had done a fantastic job in retaining the overall look and feel of the garden and blending it into its new surroundings.

Sidmouth Herald: The Donkeys Matter garden display at The Donkey Sanctuary - Credit: The Donkey SanctuaryThe Donkeys Matter garden display at The Donkey Sanctuary - Credit: The Donkey Sanctuary (Image: The Donkey Sanctuary)

“While there had to be subtle changes, the overall look and feel of the garden was retained and it is brilliant to think this multiple award-winning garden can now be viewed by thousands more visitors. It was a very deserved winner."