This year we’re proud sponsors of BBC Gardeners’ World magazine – Gardens of the Year 2023 competition. Our very own head gardener Sarah Mead took part in judging along with gardening royalty Alan Titchmarsh, Arit Anderson and Ann-Marie Powell.

After sifting through lots of pictures of readers’ gardens, a shortlist of eight hopefuls went through to the final with the judges. This month Clive Johnson-Cooper from Edinburgh was crowned the judges’ winner. When asked what he was most proud of in his garden, he said: “It’s the overall look of the garden and how the plants work together. It’s not just a case of putting in a lot of foliage plants.”

On Clive’s garden Sarah said that she felt it had inspiration for everyone; “we all lead such busy and frenetic lives with information overload, I could totally imagine that Clive can go out there and lose himself completely from the hubbub in Edinburgh.  It is a garden that all of us can take inspiration from and would be easily translated into an area of any size or aspect,” she said.

“The judges unanimously felt that the winning garden was a fabulous illustration of what can be done with a small palate of colours (mainly green) and a restrained hand.  The garden reminded me of a small courtyard that has Moroccan tones with its tiled floor and tranquil water feature. All too often as gardeners we are tempted to over design, over colour and over complicate what we do out there,” Sarah added.

You can also have your say by voting in the People’s Choice award

Voting closes at noon on November 13, 2023.