Updated 1.20pm
A garden inspired by a Maltese quarry has been named the best show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The M&G Garden, designed by award-winning gardener James Basson, features exposed limestone walls as well as endemic Maltese plant species hitherto never seen before on UK shores.
Two Maltese limestone pillars form the centrepiece of the garden, with the remaining space separated into a series of unique microclimates.
Six articulated trucks full of Maltese limestone were used to build the garden, with Halmann Vella experts used to help with the build.
INTERVIEW: Malta 'a microcosm of our planet's plight,' says Basson
Carob and mastic trees, Maltese sea lavender and Maltese spurge all feature alongside species such as myrtle, bay, buckthorn and olive, fig and pomegranate trees. Some of the species used have never before been seen on British shores.
Mr Basson, who has dominated the Chelsea Flower Show winners' tables in recent years, was inspired by the Maltese landscape after coming across a quarry in Gozo, the Telegraph reported.
"When I had the chance of coming to Malta for a design job, I came to see it and was blown away,” he said.
In an interview, Mr Basson had told Times of Malta “nothing like this has been seen at Chelsea before. It will not be a ‘pretty’ garden in the traditional sense but rather an extreme case of showing how man can work with nature in the harshest of conditions and create an ecological, sustainable garden."
Botanist Stephen Mifsud and the local Gaia Foundation nursery helped Mr Basson identify and source the local species he needed to bring his vision to reality.
The Chelsea Flower Show is a yearly five-day event held in London. Held since 1912, it is one of the world's most prestigious garden events, attracting visitors from all corners of the globe.