Shropshire strikes triple gold at Chelsea Flower Show

Claire Austin from Shawbury won gold for her irises at Chelsea Flower Show

Shropshire growers have struck gold not once, but three times at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Rose grower David Austin, from Albrighton won with his six new varieties.

His daughter, Claire, runs Claire Austin Hardy Plants at Edgebolton and took gold with her long bearded irises.

Nick and Christine Ffoulkes Jones from Hall Farm Nursery at Kinnerley near Oswestry won gold for their display of herbaceous plants.

After a two-year break from exhibiting at the show, Claire Austin returned in style in 2010 to win gold with her 40 varieties of bearded irises displayed in a courtyard garden.

For people who were not able to get to Chelsea, Ms Austin is opening her nursery to the public on Saturday, 29 and Sunday 30 May to display her six acres of irises in full bloom. The nursery will also be open on 4 and 5 June.

David Austin of Albrighton won gold for his roses

David Austin introduced six new roses this year. Among them was a deep pink flowered compact bloom called Princess Anne, named after the patron of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), a charity which promotes horse riding and carriage driving for disabled people.

Also new in 2010 is Susan Williams-Ellis, a white medium-sized rose commemorating the co-founder of the Portmeirion Pottery.

Riding for the Disabled

Hall Farm Nursery celebrated the 40th anniversary of Riding for the Disabled

Nick and Christine Ffoulkes Jones of Hall Farm Nursery at Kinnerley near Oswestry also marked the 40th anniversary of the RDA.

Their gold-medal-winning garden featured a life-size sculpture of a child on a pony riding through a meadow of herbaceous plants.

The couple are both volunteers at an RDA group near Shrewsbury and wanted to create something to raise awareness of the charity and the work it does for both children and adults.