UK Colleges to go ‘head to head’ for the title.
For the second year running I have joined forces with the Prince’s Foundation to stage another competition for students from six UK colleges to build sustainable show gardens.
The Ideal Home Show runs from 16th March until 1st April 2012 and the college show gardens will be on display on the forecourt entrance toEarls Court. The competition aims to highlight very best practice in British garden design amongst student designers. Each college has a 5.5m x 4m plot to plan and design a unique and sustainable garden based on the theme of ‘land craft techniques in an urban setting’. The garden entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts led by me, awarding Gold, Silver or Bronze medals with two further prestigious titles of Best at Show and The People’s Choice.
This year’s college entries are from:
Askham Bryan College, North Yorkshire
Bridgwater College, Somerset
Chichester College, Sussex
Capel Manor, Middlesex
Shuttleworth College, Bedfordshire
Writtle College, Essex.
At last year’s inaugural competition, HRH The Prince of Wales visited each of the gardens and his Foundation has set clear guidelines for this year’s competition based on organic and sustainable principles. The gardens should inspire city dwellers and show what can be achieved in small urban locations.
View the 2011 competition details
Each college has one week to build and plant their garden outside Earls Court to be ready for the opening day on March 16th 2012. They will be monitored and supported by my team in preparation for the judging panel. Over 275,000 people will view their creations during the course of theLondon show, offering students fantastic exposure and a solid industry platform to build on.
Last year over a quarter of a million people at the Ideal Home Show got to appreciate the show gardens designed by our young students and this kind of exposure, with support from The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, can prove a great fuel injection in those young people’s career paths and help them stand out from the competition when they come to apply for work.
For more details on the 2012 Ideal Young Gardeners Competition and the participating colleges visit: www.idealhomeshow.co.uk
The Ideal Home Show, London will open its doors for 17 days from 16th March – 1st April 2012, at London’s Earls Court. Tickets can be booked online via www.idealhomeshow.co.uk
