2 pmSecond time lucky Designer Adam Woolcott, who’s won his second Chelsea gold medal and Best Courtyard Garden for his small garden, The Old Gate, has revealed the secret of his success: a lucky stinging nettle. Adam saved the nettle from the top of a water feature used in his 2006 Chelsea garden, which won gold and the People’s Award for Best Small Garden. “It just caused so much reaction last year, and people suddenly picked up on the nettle on the top of the water feature - I thought, there’s no way I can just throw that nettle away,” says Adam. He potted it up, and now it’s back at Chelsea, about 30cm (12”) high and part of a scene recreating the Dig for Victory campaign from the Second World War. The nettle is in the side of the garden depicting a neglected flowerbed, overlooked while the owner tends vegetables instead.
 “That nettle is back in this garden, and it will be in every other garden I do, if I do get to do another one,” says Adam. He’s hoping for a sponsor to help him build a larger garden in the Great Pavilion next year, before one day, maybe, doing a full-sized show garden. That nettle has years of stardom at Chelsea to come. 8.30amIt's People's FridayThe finalists in the BBC RHS People's Award are announced at lunchtime today. The People's Award is given for the garden the public votes for as their favourite. It's almost as coveted by designers as the judges' awards, and gives designers a second chance to win a top accolade. There are two awards; Best Show Garden, and Best Small Garden. The first round of voting in the show garden category closed at midnight, and the four finalists will be announced today during the lunchtime programme at 12.30pm on BBC One. Viewers then have just 24 hours to vote for their favourite. The small garden vote runs continuously until 12.45 tomorrow and the winner will be announced on the website during the afternoon. | 
