A LOCAL garden designer will be encouraging people to re-think the way they treat their outdoor space at this year’s Dorset County Show.

Harry Brenan, who has lived in Dorset all his life, will be showcasing his horticultural talents for the first time at the celebration of all things Dorset on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6.

He hopes his show garden will inspire visitors to the 175th County Show.

Harry said: “For me, a garden should not just be about its outward appearance but how it can support and help the environment around it. For this reason, I choose plants which can give something back to the soil, encourage helpful wildlife and can, through their leaf and petal shapes, help to alter the perspective or outlook of a space in a positive way.”

Harry is a champion of the biodynamic concept, having been taught by master horticulturalist Tom Petherick, one of the original restorers of the famous Cornish Gardens of Helligan.

He said: “The biodynamic method is a way of gardening according to the earth’s natural rhythms and astral effects.

“The year is split into a biodynamic calendar with every day of each month allocated to specific activities. Though it might sound a little alternative, by planting to the natural rhythms of the environment, you are creating the best and most natural conditions.”