Gardens of the Year: meet our finalists

Before

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In 2018 Nicola set out to turn her overgrown plot into a very special garden for her and her two children. It was in that year that Nicola became a single mum and realised that a garden full of beautiful plants, vegetables and wildlife would be a boon for both her and her kids. Nicola’s son has complex special needs and going on family holidays can be a challenge. But after four years of hard work, they now have a holiday-at-home sanctuary where friends, neighbours and family are welcome, and every opportunity is taken to spend time outdoors. Nicola’s philosophy is to let the wildf lowers and wildlife appear where they like as her garden continues to evolve – right alongside her love of gardening.

What was the garden like when you first moved in?

We moved here in 2015 and it was Februar y so I remember there weren’t many plants. The top third was all gravel and in the middle there were 18 one-metre-square veg beds that were completely rotten. The w illow tree covered the whole garden, and the neighbour’s too. It was full of w ildf lowers, but it was also covered in old carpet and weedsuppressant fabric. It was quite like a beach garden but there was no soil any where except for in the veg beds. Then, when spring came, it just sort of exploded into a horrendous, overgrow n mess and I couldn’t do any thing w ith it at first!

Did you have a love for gardening before?

Before creating the garden here I can’t say I was ever massively into gardening. I had a t y pical garden previously but I love being outside more than any thing. I didn’t want to move here at first. We had left our old home because the ow ners sold it and then we went and lived in a bell tent for five months. W hen I first

Garden plan

At 32 metres long and nine metres wide, Nicola’s plot is a large, open garden with heavy clay soil and views across fields to the rear

Willow

Seating area

Apple tree

Pond

Hut

N

Garden retreat

Veg beds

Seating area

Pool

Thoughts from the experts

Our judges loved Nicola House’s relaxed, wildlife-friendly garden and unanimously agreed it should be the 2022 Judges’ Choice. Here, they reveal what they loved most about this winning garden

Alan Titchmarsh

To achieve v iews like this, Nicola’s got an innate talent and an eye. It looks like she’s created her garden w ithout being constrained by what others think and she clearly has a natural f lair for it. I can imagine the whole garden must hum w ith birds, bees and butterf lies.

A ll of us on t he judging panel could see Nicola’s passion in ever y part of her garden – t his is gardening w it h real heart and soul. Arit Anderson

It’s just so joy ful and it looks effortless because you can tell she’s enjoyed the process.

It could be daunting to approach a space that big but even though she didn’t garden that much before, she k nows what’s needed for the k ids. Ever yone’s talk ing about plant diversit y but here’s a gardener who’s just doing it.

It really feels of the now, for the env ironment, sustainabilit y and mental wellbeing. Ann-Marie Powell

I love ever ything about this garden and Nicola clearly has real indiv idualism.

I think the way that the garden bursts out into next door is great and it feels like there are no constraints.

It’s certainly a garden I would like to hang out in. I like how sustainable it all is and I just love all the recycling – ver y little money has been spent here but the garden still looks wonderful and has so much soul.

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This year’s top prize

The winner of the Judges’ Choice award will receive a holiday, courtesy of Pure Michigan and Visit Detroit, worth over £6,000.

The state of Michigan, in the Great Lakes region of the American Midwest, home to the Cit y of Detroit, beautiful countr yside, iconic gardens and open roads, is a true American adventure.

Pure Michigan and Visit

The winners of the Highly Commended and People’s Choice awards will each receive a power tool bundle courtesy of Worx, worth £2,000.

This comprises a Landroid robot mower and a range of tools from the PowerShare battery range (includes blowers, grass trimmers, push mowers, hedge trimmers, shrub shears, Detroit are delighted to offer a seven-night prize, consisting of flights, car hire and accommodation.

The luck y winners will spend two nights in Detroit visiting Ford House and Belle Isle, and five nights in Michigan, including the famous Mackinac Island, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Holland. ◼ Return flights ◼ Seven nights in three- or four-star hotels

garden sprayers and portable pressure cleaners, subject to stock availability).

With the versatile Worx PowerShare range, you can do all your jobs around the garden with just one charger and a couple of batteries. And with its awardwinning Landroid robotic mower taking care of your lawn, there’s more time for you to get on with other jobs in the garden. Do it better. Do it with Worx.

Our winner can take a relaxing carriage ride on Mackinac Island

For full details of all prizes see GardenersWorld.com/garden-competition

PLUS more prizes for finalists

Plus… All eight finalists have been awarded a professional photoshoot of their garden and be featured in Gardeners’ World Magazine in 2022-23.

Two winners get a Worx Landroid mower and PowerShare tools