“Gardening is a really good way of being in the moment – you just put things aside”

Frontline workers Claire and James Eckersley’s multi-level garden just outside Falmouth was a real favourite with our 2020 Gardens of the Year judges, thanks to its confident and varied planting. Claire works in end-of-life care and James has recently joined the Navy as a medical officer. Being on the front line as the country battled Covid-19 has meant the couple – and their two children – relied on their garden as a place of sanctuary.

But Claire and James have been working hard to create their beautiful garden since 2013, when they moved here from the north east – bringing lots