Blue skies at Chelsea

After a few days of grey skies, the sun decided to shine on the Psalm 23 Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 

The sunshine brought out the soft colours of the garden inspired by the landscape of Dartmoor.  

Press Day is when hundreds of journalists and specially invited guests – including celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and gardening – descend on the Show, and help to generate the buzz that makes it such a special event.  

In keeping with this, Bible Society invited actor Sally Phillips to spend the day with us. She – and the garden – were the focus of a media scrum, as she navigated the huge rocks in high heels and gave a moving reading of 'The Lord is my shepherd'. She was in demand throughout the morning as print, radio and TV journalists asked her what the garden meant to her and how it spoke to her. She told Bible Society: 'The waterfall speaks a lot to me. I have a son with special needs, and there's been a feeling to me of being behind a waterfall, that I'm in a different space to other people. They look at us as though we're having the worst possible life, but that's not how it feels being under the waterfall; you're protected by the overhanging rock.' 

The garden itself is an extraordinary creation. It's built around huge rocks with a softly rounded look, with a waterfall and a pool of still water. Height is provided by a bank with flowers and trees, and it's backed by dry stone walls. Many visitors were stunned by its look of permanence – 'I can't believe it hasn't always been there,' was a constant refrain. They've also spoken of the sense of calm it generates, and they've responded to the idea of a journey it portrays.  

One visitor was actor Jim Carter, famous for his role as the butler Carson in Downton Abbey. He told Bible Society the garden was 'a little piece of perfect heaven – a little bit of perfection. It feels like a sanctuary, where you could sit under a tree or dabble your feet in the water and be perfectly content. The artistry that's gone into it is amazing.' 

We're just at the beginning of a week during which the Bible will be in the public view in a remarkable and powerful way. We trust and pray that the Psalm 23 Garden will speak words of comfort and blessing to those who see it.