Stunning gardens win top awards

Stunning gardens win top awards

Talented teams of garden designers, landscapers and college students have won high praise from BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost for their imaginative show gardens at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected at the Spring Fair at Beaulieu in the New Forest this Bank Holiday weekend (1-3 May), looking for inspiration and ideas for every shape, size and type of garden.

A Gold award was presented to Hampshire-based garden designer Vicky Lincoln and Rob Woodhouse from Solent Garden Services for their Showcase Garden, Nature’s Spa. Inspired by the William Wordsworth poem, ‘Lines Written in Spring’, this relaxing wellbeing garden celebrates the arrival of spring with a promise of warmer months and brighter days ahead, inviting us to get back outside to reconnect with nature, to restore and re-energise.

Facing the tough task of assessing the Spring Fair’s show gardens were multi award-winning designers Richard Barnard (Kings Oak Landscapes) and Pip Probert (BBC Your Garden Made Perfect), Garden News magazine editor-at-large, Ian Hodgson, and Phil Tremayne, General Manager of the Association of Professional Landscapers. Floral displays were assessed by expert horticulturalist, Rupert Eley (The Place for Plants, East Bergholt).

Assessment panel Chair, Ian Hodgson, said: “Nature’s Spa is a contemplative, restful retreat that made us yearn for the water. It was underpinned by a masterful and sensitive use of paving, decking and planting.”

Winner Vicky Lincoln (pictured) said: “We’re delighted to win this award and have really enjoyed the process of creating a garden that visitors love. We’re so grateful for the opportunity and the support we’ve had.”

The Spring Fair’s headline sponsor Hillier never fails to bring the wow factor. This year’s spectacular feature is the Neighbourhood of Gardens, an eye-catching quad of distinct but connected gardens that demonstrate how thoughtful design can respond to different ways people live today. Hillier’s Family Garden is a lively, playful space by day that transforms into a relaxed evening retreat. The Potted Garden shows how container planting can deliver colour, personality and style for busy lifestyles, renters or those new to gardening. The nostalgic, wildlife-friendly Cottage Garden is a colourful, scented escape from the pace of modern life, while the Urban Jungle is a lush, leafy, contemporary space to unwind and step away from the digital world. At the Hillier Experience, visitors can buy plants featured in the Neighbourhood of Plants, get expert advice, and enjoy talks by horticultural specialists like David Austin Roses.

The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair supports future generations of horticultural talent through its annual College Gardens Competition. Student teams from Coastland College, Dorset and Merrist Wood College, Guildford accepted the challenge, inspired by a creative theme of ‘Reimagined Traditions’ and mentored by award-winning garden designer Cherry Carmen. Their brief: to design and build a budget-friendly Showcase Garden packed with creativity, interest and visitor appeal.

Horticulture and landscaping students from Merrist Wood College, Guildford scooped Best College Garden and a Gold award for their garden, Heritage Rewoven, exploring the evolution of horticultural education since the college first welcomed students in 1945.

Chair of assessors, Ian Hodgson, said: “With its creative repurposing and recycling of building materials found around the college and lush, colourful planting, this garden was a winner for the talented young team behind it.”

Richard Cant, Curriculum Manager at Merrist Wood College, said: “This is our fourth BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair and our third Best College Garden. It’s great to build on that tradition with a different team of students each year. From concept and construction through to the assessment panel, they learn so much from the whole process, developing their skills and confidence throughout. It’s a great project for our students to be part of be part, to put on their CV and to start their horticultural careers.”

The Spring Fair’s ever-popular Beautiful Borders competition gives first-time designers, charities and community groups the opportunity to try their hand at designing a smaller-scale show garden, sharing their vision and message with the Fair’s 20,000+ visitors. With a new creative theme each year, the brief is to pack these mini 9m2 plots with imagination. This year’s Beautiful Border theme is ‘Once Upon a Time’, with personal stories and memories at the heart of many of the designs.

Best Beautiful Border and a Platinum award went to New Forest Day Opportunities and Minstead Trust, a Lyndhurst-based charity working with people with learning difficulties and autism. The woodland design was inspired by an original New Forest folk tale, written by people supported by Minstead Trust and which imagines the origins of Furzey Gardens. The Border tells a story of a garden created, lost and renewed through shared care, and will be rebuilt within Furzey Gardens after the Spring Fair.

Chair of assessors, Ian Hodgson, said: “This brilliant Border is pure inventive and imaginative fun, created with great passion and panache. The fairytale of Furzey Gardens was a wonderful way to bring the ‘Once Upon a Time’ theme to life.”

Presented with their award, Minstead Trust gardening instructor Paul Smith said: “We feel emotional accepting this award on behalf of a huge team of people. The people that Minstead Trust supports were fully involved in helping us put this garden together, from concept to construction, woodwork, ceramics, crafts, everything. They will be absolutely elated with this award.

In the Floral Display award categories, Millais Nursery from Farnham, Surrey won Best Designed Display, and Hampshire Carnivorous Plants from Southampton won Best Quality of Plants. Jurassic Plants from Denbighshire won Best Display of Rare/Unusual Plants, and Best Overall Display went to Beech Tree Farm Plants from North Yorkshire.

Congratulating all entrants on their awards, BBC Gardeners’ World presenter, Adam Frost, said: “I’ve got nothing but respect for anyone that invests their time, vision and hard graft into bringing a show garden to life at a big public event like this. I’ve done it myself and I know the heart and soul that goes into it. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet the wonderful folk that created these gardens, and I know they will inspire so many Spring Fair visitors with their fantastic ideas.”

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu said: “In past years, some of the gardens at the Spring Fair have been so good that I have wanted them to be left as a permanent feature. Sadly, that is not in the nature of these display gardens, but the compensation is the prospect of another great selection in the following year. I am sure that the creations at this year’s show will follow the high standard of previous years and give our visitors plenty to enthuse about.”

The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair takes place at Beaulieu, Hampshire until Sunday 3 May. Highlights include Showcase Gardens, Beautiful Borders, floral displays and more than thirty specialist plant nurseries. At the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Stage, presenters Adam Frost (Friday), Frances Tophill (Saturday), Sue Kent and Ashley Edwards (both Sunday) share seasonal gardening tips with the Magazine team, gardening personalities and guests. There are expert-led talks, fun floral and bug hotel workshops, guided garden tours and demonstrations, a design and landscaping clinic from the Association of Professional Landscapers, and informal gardening chat at the In Conversation Stage with host, Ade Sellars.

Visitors can enjoy plant, garden and lifestyle shopping, with a Plant Crèche and Wheelbarrow Porter Service. There are tasting sessions with local producers and broadcaster and writer Andy Clarke at the Spring Table, sponsored by Regent Seven Seas Cruises, delicious food and drink at the Good Food Market, and plenty of ‘grow your own’ inspiration with the Make a Metre Matter Border by BBC Newsround presenter De-Graft Mensah and Lucy Chamberlain, and edible displays by the National Vegetable Society. Family visitors can enjoy vintage games, tractors and Land Rovers in the Spring Fair’s arena, a ride on the Beaulieu Monorail, and the Little Beaulieu adventure play area.

Buy tickets for the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair at www.bbcgardenersworldfair.com, which include access to the National Motor Museum, Palace House and all Beaulieu gardens, grounds and attractions. Discounted tickets and Club Lounge access are available to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine subscribers and Hillier Garden Club members. VIP Lounge access for VIP Extra ticket holders. Well-behaved dogs on leads welcome in outside areas. Free parking.

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