The normal 18th floor balcony off Deansgate that has been turned into lush 'cloud garden' oasis
02.05.2022 - 08:43
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
It was a trip to B&Q in Cheetham Hill that set in motion the chain of events that led Jason Williams to Chelsea Flower Show. Furloughed and struggling with his mental health during the first lockdown, he decided to have a go at gardening.
As Jason made his way back to his city centre flat with a single marigold, little did he know what was to come. In the months that followed, he transformed his 18th floor balcony in the city centre into a lush urban oasis.
His "Cloud Garden" has been such a success that he has been invited to exhibit at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. Jason decided to take up gardening as a hobby shortly after March 2020 as an escape to help him aid his mental health during lockdown.
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The 35-year-old explained: "I had just moved into my apartment and realised how important outside space was. I ended up going to B&Q in Cheetham Hill and getting a marigold.
"The garden centre was the only place that was open so that became the day trip out when I was going for walks. It was a nice distraction during lockdown. It started off just to pass the time then grew into more than that.
"I realised how much it helped with my mental health and I got really into self-sufficiency to try and grow food for myself." Jason spent the following months honing his gardening skills through trial and error, and documented his journey in YouTube videos.
His rented apartment off Deansgate is now home to more than 150 house plants and a further 100 containers on his ever-growing balcony garden. It has helped him to become more self-sufficient, and he now grows his own fruit and vegetables as well as converting his household waste into compost.
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