Garden is best in show

Horticulture staff and pupils at Wolverhampton College were celebrating today after landing the top prize at the BBC's Gardeners' World Live competition at the NEC.

The Best In Show accolade has been awarded for its children's garden, designed by lecturers Helen Wood and Darren Rudge and put together with the help of up to 60 students.

Mr Rudge beamed: "This is our sixth attempt here with different types of gardens and we thought we had a strong entry.

"To win is completely out of this world."

Mr Rudge said the garden, called Naturally Playful, has been designed to capture childhood experiences of playing with nature rather than "sterile climbing frames and purpose-built toys".

It was designed by the lecturers after they asked youngsters from Wood End Primary School in Wednesfield what they liked about gardens.

Mr Rudge said the space was designed to encourage children to interact and investigate the natural world and construct their own special places in a natural environment.