Prize money in The Artisan Garden Design Competition being run by the organisers of Gardening Scotland has risen to £6,000 following support from The Cross Trust.
There are now three awards of £2,000 each will be given to designers who submit the best plans for a show garden to be created at Gardening Scotland 2014.
The awards have been developed in order to encourage designers to create exhibits that reflect real gardens.
Martin Dare, Gardening Scotland show organiser, said: “Feedback from visitors has shown that what they want to see are not fantasy gardens but an enhanced version of what they have got at home. They want show gardens to be inspirational and aspirational and they want them to be filled with plants.”
Garden designers, students from Scotland’s rural colleges and representatives of major charities were amongst the audience who attended the Forum at Oatridge College near Broxburn.
The speakers were horticultural lecturers Ann Burns of Oatridge and Ally Bruce of Dundee College as well as Dougal Philip and Lesley Watson of New Hopetoun Gardens Garden Centre, all of whom have experience of creating successful show gardens.
Dougal Philip, who is also Chairman of The Cross Trust said: “ The Trust is a charitable body which gives grants to young Scots who are of merit and in financial need in order to extend the boundaries of their knowledge of human life. The Trust administers the annual John Fife Travel Award for young people of Scottish birth or parentage who are either studying or working in horticulture.
“We are delighted to be supporting Gardening Scotland in The Artisan Garden Design Competition as we believe it has the potential to give young designers a real platform for their work.”
Gardening Scotland 2014 will take place from Friday, 30 May until Sunday, 2 June at The Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh.
Comments