HORTICULTURE students from Pershore College have scooped a prestigious gold medal for their spectacular urban garden in the Young Gardeners of the Year Awards 2018 at the Ascot Spring Garden Show.
The annual competition, now in its eighth year, is organised by TV gardener David Domoney in association with the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community. The awards celebrate the best of young British talent in garden design and build and gives students the unique opportunity to create a show-stopping, sustainable garden seen by thousands of visitors at the show.
Each of the six competing colleges was given a 5m x 4.5m plot to create a back garden haven for an urban house. The brief was to inspire city dwellers, demonstrating what can be achieved in a small urban location and to create a sense of tranquillity and escape.
The Prince’s Foundation sets clear guidelines based on organic and sustainable principles and the young gardeners were also tasked to pay particular attention to the use of local, natural materials and sustainable drainage systems.
Lead designer Amanda Jayne Pearce, a mature Horticulture BSc (hons) student from Moreton-in-Marsh, described the Pershore garden entitled Winner’s Circle: “This modern, sustainable, urban garden provides a small oasis away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The microclimate provided by the urban environment allows for a planting scheme that is drought tolerant, requires minimal maintenance, yet allows for a more unusual tropical planting scheme.
After receiving their gold medal, co-designer Joshua Reid, said: “When we heard Pershore had been awarded a gold medal we were all incredibly excited. Getting a gold means everything to me as it’s the first ever garden design competition that I have taken part in. As well as jointly designing the garden with Amanda, I also contributed lots of labour towards its construction. It was hard work but well worth the effort!”
Lecturer Lynn Brotherton said: “The Young Gardener of the Year competition represents a brilliant opportunity for students to be involved in a show garden from design to completion.
“This year we have involved Level 2, Level 3 and BSc Horticulture students, which provided students with a unique opportunity to pass on their knowledge to those studying at different levels and to collaborate with students they might not have the chance to work with otherwise.
