Wollaston firm in with a chance of scooping award at BBC Gardeners’ World Live

Timotay Landscapes, of Hinwick Road, Wollaston, in the borough of Wellingborough, is one of just five firms to be short-listed for this year’s Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) Best Show Garden award at the four-day gardening jamboree, running from Thursday, June 13, to Sunday, June 16.

It bested the ideas of hundreds of other entrants from across the country to make the event’s APL top five ‘Show’ gardens category.

Hosted for the fourth year running by the APL, this year’s entrants were challenged to illustrate how a typical back garden can be packed with inspiration from travels abroad and the garden styles of different cultures across the globe.

Robyn Brookes and Keith Walmsley are the designers responsible for the Timotay entry and are hoping to win the prestigious title with a garden influenced by south-east Asia.

The space is designed for keen travellers who have spent much of their working life visiting exotic countries during their holidays. South-east Asia is a favourite destination of the hypothetical inhabitants, loved for its rich culture, diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes. Now slightly older, with more spare time, the garden is designed to remind them of their adventures.

The show garden assessment panel, which includes internationally-renowned garden designer Kate Gould and chairman of Hillier Nurseries, Robert Hillier, will ultimately decide who takes home the accolade of Best Show Garden, but there will also be a public vote for the visitors’ favourite.

The event, first held in 1992 as a spin-off from the popular BBC Gardeners’ World TV series, regularly attracts crowds of more than 100,000 people each year so making the final five provides great exposure for the Wollaston company.

Tim Ellwood, director of Timotay Landscapes, said: “This garden is a fusion of ideas, incorporating secluded lounging areas with hardy indigenous plants and structural features reminiscent of south-east Asia.

“We are confident that this design will impress and inspire the show assessors, as well as giving the general public lots of ideas for how they can realistically give their gardens an exotic feel.”

Its four competitors are made up of four other landscaping companies from Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Suffolk and London.

Bob Sweet, horticultural director of BBC Gardeners’ World Live, said: “Each of the designs showcase the immense talent that the landscaping companies have.

“We know that the gardens will be built to a very high standard and will provide achievable inspiration to the show visitors, giving them ideas for how to apply inspiration from their own travels around the world, at home.”

The event takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, where the five show gardens will be on display, along with many other show gardens, vast floral exhibitions, marquees and top experts, including BBC TV presenters Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh.

Tickets and more information is available via the website www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com.