Surrey County Council scooped a silver medal at this year’s Hampton Court Flower Show, for creating colourful mini-gardens that fit into the size of a parking space.

The council wanted to highlight how even small public spaces can be used to benefit the local community and improve people’s health.

Each garden measures 2.4 by 4.8 metres (8x16ft), the same as an average parking space, and contained easy-to-maintain plants plus flowers, benches and garden games like chess.

The judges at the flower show were so impressed by the gardens that they awarded the council a silver medal. They said the gardens provide spaces to escape and relax and are “astonishingly clever”.

The gardens will now be relocated to parts of Surrey for residents to enjoy, with Surrey County Council saying it has a £2m fund to study the impact they have. It’s hoped the spaces will encourage people to interact with others and spend time in nature.

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