A Gosberton gardener is hoping your votes can help him dig a victory.
Out of nearly 500 entries, Robert and Claire Bailey-Scott’s West Thorpe Road garden has been named as one of the 11 finalists for the BBC Gardener’s World magazine’s Garden of the Year by the likes of green-fingered gargantuan.
The award is voted for by the public, but you will have to be swift.
Voting closes at 12pm today (Thursday, November 1).
Judges described Robert’s 1.5 acre garden as “an amazing achievement” because “he and his wife have no regular gardening help.
“The enormous herbaceous border and the wildflower meadow were particular highlights,” a spokesman for BBC Gardener’s World magazine said.
Robert, a window cleaner by trade, said: “To be judged by the likes of Alan Titchmarsh and Diarmuid Gavin and to have such great feedback shows we’re doing something right.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever gone in for an award.
“I just saw the competition in the magazine and sent a few pictures.
“They got straight back saying it looked outstanding and it’s gone from there.”
Robert and Claire, who works as a tax manager, inherited a mess of rubble and weeds when they moved to their property 11 years ago.
Now the garden is annually opened to the public for charity as part of the National Garden Scheme.
That regularly attracts hundreds of people and it will be open again for the scheme on Sunday, July 21, 2019.
“Neither of us were gardeners when we came here,” continued Robert. “But we did move here because of the size of the garden.
“There was nothing there though apart from a couple of natural trees but grass that was up to the waste.
“The first job was to move 27 tonnes of concrete and rubble.
“So nearly everything you see in the garden is what we’ve planted and created.
BBC Gardeners’ World editor Lucy Hall, says: “This year’s entries to our Gardens of the Year competition prove that we’re not only a nation of passionate growers, but we’re also truly global in seeking inspiration for our gardens.
“Escapism was the clear design trend that leapt out for judges, from the largest plot to the tiniest courtyard – a creative response, without doubt, to the pressures we all feel today from city living and our always-on society.
“This trend is set to grow, with more of us than ever improving not moving, investing time and money in making outdoor spaces as inviting and relaxing as our homes.”
To vote visit www.gardenersworld.com/garden-competition
