)
Skip to main content

Myerscough garden crowned People’s Choice at Ascot Spring Garden Show

Published
Monday 16 Apr 2018

Myerscough College’s show garden has been named as the People’s Choice at the prestigious Young Gardeners of the Year competition.

ascot with cert.jpg

The event saw six of the UK’s leading horticulture colleges go head-to-head, designing and creating incredible gardens, as part of the Ascot Spring Garden Show, which took place over the weekend. The competition celebrated the best of young British talent in garden design and build, giving students a great opportunity to showcase their work to a national audience.

Myerscough’s garden polled more than half of the total vote from visitors to the show to be crowned the overwhelming winner of the People’s Choice Award. In addition, Myerscough were given a silver-gilt award by the Young Gardeners of the Year judges.

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. This year’s Young Gardeners of the Year gardens were judged by an expert panel, which included horticultural industry leaders, home and garden magazine editors, and acclaimed garden designers and landscapers.

Click here to watch David Domoney present the People’s Choice Award to Nick Atkinson, Assistant Head Apprenticeship & Skills – Greenspace at Myerscough College:

 

Myerscough’s Level 2 and Level 3 landscape apprentices were involved in the design and build of the ambitious project, which had a ‘Northern Soul’ theme. The finished garden demonstrated a space to relax and unwind amongst beautiful flowers, shrubs and plants and a place to admire stunning bespoke metal sculpture. The garden also included a ‘living edible wall’, with two tiers of easy to maintain paving area, designed to look good all year round.

Each competing college was being given a 5m x 4.5m plot, with the brief that the build could be traditional or contemporary, and must be a focal point to inspire homeowners and passers-by on just what can be achieved in a small urban space.

The Young Gardeners were tasked to also pay attention to issues such as the use of local, natural materials and the implementation of SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems). 

David Domoney, organiser of the competition said: “During this competition I have the privileged position of working side by side with the colleges. I get to experience the competition and support the students through every stage, from initial planning to the grand reveal, so I know just how much passion and hard work goes into these show gardens.

‘’The tutors are great instructors and extremely positive role models and it’s an absolute joy to see the students’ creative plans flourish each year and to witness the team’s pride and sense of achievement at the finished result. It is also innovative to see how the colleges have incorporated a touch of the equestrian into their garden design as a subtle reflection on the venue.

‘’This competition is a fantastic career platform and I hope these budding young garden designers and landscapers build upon it to become our stars of the future.”

Nick Atkinson said: ‘’This is a very prestigious event and one of the most exciting competitions the Myerscough Colleges apprenticeship department has been involved with.

‘’It was a great experience for our learners.’’

Tutors/Apprentices involved:

Nick Atkinson – Assistant Head Apprenticeship and Skills

James Fare – Work based Tutor – Horticulture/Landscape

Oliver Clarke – Work based Tutor – Horticulture/Landscape

Sean Attfield – L2 Diploma Landscape – Kent Turfcare

Sam Gordon – L2 Diploma Landscape – The Garden Makers

Nathan Cross - L3 Diploma Horticulture – Fort Vale Engineering

Jack Reader – L2 Diploma Landscape - Landform

Sam Taylor – L2 Diploma Landscape – Garden TLC

Adam Riley – L3 Diploma Landscape – Landtech

by Dave Salmon

DSalmon@myerscough.ac.uk