Your Stories

Mark, from Weston-super-Mare, designed a garden for the Children's South West Hospice to help the charity and raise the profile of garden designers from the region.

Although he was devastated (his words) about failing to win the top prize, instead he received a bronze, Mark said: ''The public just love the colours.

Talking about the run up to show, he said the garden walls went up well without a hitch, as the rendering dried within a few hours.

When it came to planting, the heavens opened - good for the plants, but a muddy experience for him, while this week's windy weather gave his taller plants a bit of a battering, but luckily recovered in time for the judging.

'Massive learning curve'

Although he didn't win the coveted gold medal, Mark certain he'll eventually get over his disappointment.

He said: "I'm on a very shoe-string budget. Most of the gardens here are in excess of 250 thousand pound budgets.

"I'm an up-and-coming-designer, trying to make my way really, and until you get the big sponsorship, you're struggling. For me it's been a massive learning curve.’"

This year he designed the garden for Children's South West Hospice to help the charity, something that he plans to continue to do despite this setback.