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A Grange-over-Sands man, who travelled half-way across the world to enter an extra-ordinary Gardening World Cup, has been given a unique award in recognition of the success of his Lake District cottage garden which is wooing the crowds in SE Japan.

Competing alongside 16 of the world’s very best garden designers Jonathan Denby’s ‘Special Award’ is for being one of only two gardens voted for by the visiting public as their favourite, for recreating a delightful garden from one of Beatrix Potter’s stories and for being so hospitable and welcoming to visitors to the event.

"I am delighted to be given this ‘out of the blue award’ which recognises my efforts and the crowd pleasing qualities of my Lake District cottage garden. We've been mobbed and the appreciative visitors have more than made up for the frustrations we’ve had in building the garden. It’s been easy to welcome them to their favourite bit of England in Japan. The phrase I’ve heard more than any other is "Kawaii", which means "cute" or "pretty".”

The title of the award, presented to Jonathan Denby by the organisers, is the ‘Special Hospitality Award’ which befits Jonathan’s other role and title as the chairman of the ‘Lake District Hospitality Association’.

The organisers also wanted to acknowledge the Silver Medal Jonathan Denby lost out on when his garden had to be judged unfinished. A snail had been found in the shipment of Lake District artefacts from England and the contents were only released at the last minute. By working through the night the garden was finished just in time for the public opening. Although a proven crowd-pleaser, at the time of judging, he was awarded a Bronze Medal.

Jonathan had just 10 days to build his garden from scratch.  Unlike any other gardening event, the designers have had to use their build time to check on and source plants and trees, meet and brief construction teams and produce a garden of world cup standards which could be on show for as long as four months when one week is the norm. They have worked to the same tight budgets.

Twelve countries and five continents are represented giving visitors the chance to see ‘peace’ gardens by the world’s best designers.

The Gardening World Cup takes place in the South East of Japan in a 17th century Dutch replica theme park Huis Ten Bosch. With its proximity to Nagasaki, the theme is deliberately, ‘gardens for world peace and a prayer for Japanese recovery’. This year it is being held in aid of the victims of the Japanese Tsunami. Last year’s event saw 100,000 people visiting in the first week. It was so popular that it was extended by a further three months. This year’s show opened on 8 October.

There were four gold medal winners: Jim Fogarty - Best in Show (Australia); Lim in Chong (Inch) who also won ‘Best Design’ and ‘Best Interpretation of the Peace Theme’ (Malaysia); Ryoji Fujiwara - Best construction (Japan) and John Cullen (USA). Four silver medals went to Jo Thompson (Italy), Sarah Eberle (UK), David Davidson (South Africa) and Kazuyuki Ishihara (Japan). Nico Wissing (Netherlands) took home the second bronze medal.

For more information about the gardening world cup visit: gardeningworldcup.com

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For all media queries please contact: Emma Dewhurst 07964 686682: emmadew@gotadsl.co.uk. Follow us on twitter @JapanGWC  and at our blog http://gardeningworldcup.wordpress.com/