I’m delighted to announce that the Pershore College team – of which my son Jamie was a member – was one of the 3 college teams who were awarded a Gold Medal in the Young Gardeners of the Year 2018 Competition at the Ascot Spring Show 2018.
We went to the show on Saturday 14 April 2018 at the Ascot Racecourse and were inspired by our day there – many imaginative and enchanting ideas for gardens, the seven student Young Gardeners of the Year gardens to admire inside, and also the professional show gardens outside.
Saturday was a day of bright Spring sunshine, perfect for the garden show. The event was also just the right size, so it doesn’t overwhelm the visitor, as can be the case with a major, hugely popular event like the Chelsea Flower Show.
We particularly enjoyed TV gardener David Domoney‘s talk on Unusual Gardening Techniques, and we will certainly never look at eggshells, tea bags, plastic bottles, Deep Heat spray, rusty brillo pads and old socks in the same way again!
We also heard a brilliant talk by Harvey Stephens, the Deputy Keeper of the Savill and Valley Gardens, the Crown Estate. He showed several slides of the beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees to be found in those gardens, and passed round some glorious blossoms: a pink Atlas Magnolia and a white Columbus Magnolia for us to all to hold and admire. He filled us with a strong desire to visit The Valley Gardens as soon as possible, at the height of their spring magnificence!
It was so exciting to look at all the gardens the horticultural students had designed and built, and to see the young people there, ready to talk about their gardens. These are the garden designers and heritage gardeners and landscape architects of the future, and I loved reading about their intentions behind the gardens as well.
The gardens were all intended for a small urban space, and all had to incorporate features of sustainability. For me, my response to a garden arises from what the garden makes me feel when I first see and enter it.
The Pershore College garden gives a feeling of calm and tranquility. It is a minimalist garden, with an emphasis on white and with a mediterranean atmosphere. I imagined it as a “meditation garden”.
I hope you enjoy these images which give just a taste of what an exciting, fun and inspiring day we had at the Ascot Spring Show.
scskillman.com 
Congratulations Jamie and the team! 🙂
Thank you Catherine – I’ll pass your message onto him!