Bermuda’s entry into the world’s largest gardening show has been secured at the eleventh hour after a family’s generous donation saved the day.Nicky Gurret feared the worst when the Department of Tourism pulled out of the chance to promote the Island at next year’s Chelsea Flower Show in London, England.But the Green family of Marshall’s Island recognised the importance of the world-famous show and stepped forward to make Ms Gurret’s dream a reality.Wealthy investor Peter Green is handing over about $40,000 to finance the Bermuda entry in memory of his first wife Mary-Jean Mitchell Green, who died of cancer in 1990.Next year’s flower show entry will be inspired by the 1981 ‘Double Fantasy’ album, released by John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono after a stay in Bermuda.Ms Gurret, who is a flower arranger and architect, said: “It’s unbelievably good news.“I’m so happy I’ve received sponsorship through the Green family, I am most grateful.“Through their generosity Bermuda will be highlighted at the Chelsea Flower Show. I have been able to submit the application to exhibit The Bermuda Double Fantasy Garden at the eleventh hour.”Ms Gurret said she had been “overwhelmed” by the response of last week’s story published in The Royal Gazette as she’d had “numerous e-mails, telephone calls and people stopping me on the street to say ‘keep trying’”.The story on Friday explained how Ms Gurret’s idea for Bermuda to enter the flower show for the second time had been dismissed after she’d asked Tourism Minister Patrice Minors and Tourism director William Griffith for their support.Ms Gurret worked with Government on this year’s Bermuda entry, which won a silver medal for showcasing the Island as an ideal honeymoon destination. About 157,000 visitors and 1,700 journalists attended the flower show in May and Bermuda’s entry was featured on the BBC and in UK newspapers.Alexander Green said when he, his brother Andrew and their father Peter read the newspaper article “we all had exactly the same idea”.He said: “We realised that something like this was a great way to advertise Bermuda and help with the Island’s success.“We understand that Government has different priorities and has limited finances, so we were happy to step in at short notice.“We are doing it in memory of my mother who was very passionate about gardening.”Mr Green said the family already had “an affinity” with the Chelsea Flower Show as the Mary-Jean rose, which is named after his mother, is always on show if it’s in bloom.He added: “We think it’s going to be a beautiful exhibit and we fully support Nicky’s idea. We all know how wonderful Bermuda is and hopefully this will encourage others to visit.”The family, which owns investment company Berco, is a long-time supporter of a whole host of projects across Bermuda, including the Mary-Jean Mitchell Green memorial garden and gazebo at the Bermuda National Trust headquarters, Waterville.The three by four metre ‘Bermuda Double Fantasy’ garden includes a moongate with a winding pathway leading to the beach with various double fantasy freesias, like those John Lennon spotted at the Botanical Gardens.Ms Gurret and the Green family have applied for a place in the Artisan Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. They have submitted the garden plans and now await to see if they have been accepted into the event, which runs from May 22 to 26.After we published Friday’s story, Ms Gurret also received an e-mail from Mr Griffith making it clear that Government would not be working with her again.The note to Ms Gurret explained that any future exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show would be “a joint one created and led by” the Department of Tourism and Department of Parks.It stated: “The departments are therefore not desirous of partnering with yourself for future shows … I would like to thank you again for our past partnership.”Ms Gurret said: “Unfortunately I was denied an audience with the Tourism Department and the door firmly shut in my face.“But I am so grateful as when one door shuts another one has opened.”The Department of Tourism did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.