by Stephen Waite

IF anyone deserves a medal, it has to be the husband and wife team who have created a stunning Olympic-themed garden.

Keen gardeners David and Doreen Stanley, of Nutberry Close, Teynham, have won the approval of neighbours for their latest display – Olympic rings made from plants and mounted on poles.

The front lawn is also home to a life-size runner carrying a torch, which even flickers at night.

David, 71, explained what had led to such a marathon effort: “We try and have a theme every year – such as a certain type of plant or colour.

“This year we wanted to use the colours of the Olympics.”

David said Doreen was the ideas person who had come up with the theme before they got the ball rolling.

“Coming up with the plants that would be a suitable colour took some time,” he said.

“There are several that are green but they flower in early spring, so we had to use a herb and we went for parsley.”

The other colours proved more straight forward, blue lobelias, yellow dwarf dahlias and red geraniums and petunias.

The black ring was filled with pansies, even though they’re more like dark purple, and a black elder.

The plants were put in baskets and attached to poles before David added coloured metal rings around each one.

But he really put his skills to the test with his running man creation, made from steel he recycled from a garage he demolished.

“I’m no artist, but I was pleased with the way it turned out,” he said. “We lit up the torch with a bulb, one of those ones that flickers.”

David, who worked in the metal industry all his life, has previously made a kangaroo, donkey and angels and he and Doreen’s handiwork has seen the grandparents become regular winners of Teynham in Bloom’s best house award.

The Olympic features took about a fortnight and joined a diamond-shaped display, outlined with solar-powered lights, planted to mark the Queen’s Jubilee.

Ironically, the Stanleys would not have been in the running for this year’s Teynham in Bloom.

There are doubts whether the competition will take place but even if it does, David had ruled them out, after a number of wins in succession.