BBC Gardeners' World Live 2022

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Posted 2022-06-15 by Andy Coleman ⇒ follow

Thu 16 Jun 2022 - Sun 19 Jun 2022

Television gardener Frances Tophill is today 'Top of the Crops' after scooping the top show garden prize at . Her exhibit, Frances' Garden, won a platinum award and was named Best In Show – quite an achievement considering it is the first time she has designed a show garden.

"I'm overwhelmed and surprised," Frances said. "It's a very 'me' garden, full of little ideas – planting combinations, catering for wildlife, biodiversity, water saving and reusing materials. I like to think it's fun, joyful and hopeful."I can now die happy knowing I've designed a show garden! Would I do another? Never say never."

The garden is a reimagining of an industrial space, but rather than being used for industry it has been harnessed for its sustainability and productivity. It features reclaimed materials, with native hedges and trees, and culinary and medicinal plants, chosen to maximise nesting, drinking, feeding and dwelling sites for as many species as possible.

The award for Best Constructed Garden was presented to The Garden Design Co and Michael Wheat Group for The Living Landscape – A Nostalgic Experience, the largest show garden in BBC Gardeners' World Live's 30-year history. It also received a silver merit award. It demonstrates how a controlled landscape can merge into a naturalised environment. A garden cabin, jetty and boardwalk lead to a swimming pond which is surrounded by wildlife-friendly planting.

Marshalls Food For Thought Garden showcases the range of seeds and plants offered by seed company Marshalls . Its stunning display of vegetables and ornamentals impressed the judges so much it gained a platinum award.

The grow-your-own gardening trend is merged with the desire to have a garden in any available space in Garden Organic 's Small Spaces – Big Ideas, designed by Emma O'Neill and Chris Collins. It aims to inspire visitors by showing how much can be squeezed into a 5m x 5m paved area, using raised beds, containers and vertical planting. It was judged worthy of a gold award.

A silver award was won by Pip Probert's Practically Plastic Free garden, which demonstrates what can be achieved by reducing the use of plastic in the garden, while Derby College's Metamorphosis gained a bronze.

Three gardens on the Association of Professional Landscapers Avenue received awards. Old is Gold by Gordius Team Ltd gained silver, Nurture Through Nature, designed by Kim Parish, was awarded silver merit, as was The Memories of Mountains Garden Retreat, landscaped by JKD Studio.

is celebrating 100 years of the BBC with a series of themed gardens in the floral marquee.

Two of the exhibits, Grundy's Farm and The Hideout, were given platinum awards. Grundy's Farm, designed by Paul Stone, is inspired by The Archers radio programme. It features the infamous farmyard Cider Club, with bottles, barrels and benches, alongside a pony trap loaded with cut flowers, which could be connected with Eddy Grundy's money-making ventures!

The Hideout, designed by Alexandra Froggatt, is inspired by Birmingham gang drama Peaky Blinders. It boasts antique artefacts supplied by The Black Country Living Museum, a horse drawn getaway cart outside an old shack, a cobbled path and naturalistic planting.

Other exhibits are inspired by Only Fools and Horses, Gone Fishing, The Repair Shop, Dr Who and Top of the Pops. There is also a poignant display paying tribute to TV gardening legend Peter Seabrook who died earlier this year.