Silver medal glory for Derby College Group students at BBC Gardeners’ World Live

Alice Roberts BBC natural History Presenter (second from left), with part of the team which won a silver medal for the Artist’s Garden - Ian Foster, Paul Derbyshire, Julie Spindler and Denise Rice (the designer).

Horticulture students from Derby College Group (DCG) have scooped a Silver Medal at one of the UK’s most prestigious horticultural events, BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC Birmingham, with their stunning show garden, ‘The Artist’s Garden’.

The garden was designed and built entirely by students on the college’s adult part-time Level 3 Horticulture Practical Skills course, based at DCG’s Broomfield Hall site in Morley, Ilkeston. The project was constructed by the entire student group over a three-week period, under the guidance of course tutor Paul Brady.

The garden’s designer, Denise Rice of The Garden Spirit, is herself a student on the course, bringing a unique collaborative spirit to the project. Inspired by the real garden of a Derbyshire artist, ‘The Artist’s Garden’ reflects more than 70 years of creative evolution shaped by the artist and her parents, in a life where art, making and growing are deeply intertwined.

Blending artistic expression with the practical charm of a traditional country cottage garden, the 11m x 9m space features a vibrant palette of herbaceous perennials framing a floral-clad rustic arch, a willow arbour constructed from locally grown willow, an informal pathway of reclaimed Bonsall limestone inlaid with handcrafted fine china mosaics, a small orchard with meadow grass underfoot, and productive vegetable beds at its heart.

The Silver Medal adds yet another honour to an extraordinary record of achievement. The college’s tradition of creating award-winning show gardens at BBC Gardeners’ World Live stretches back more than 25 years, including a Silver Gilt for the Buddhist Vihara Garden in 2025, a Platinum Award in 2024, and a Silver Merit Award in 2023.

Jon Collins, Vice Principal for Derby College Group, said: “This Silver Medal is a wonderful achievement and one that every student involved can be enormously proud of. Year after year, our horticulture students prove that they are more than capable of competing at the very highest level on a national stage, and ‘The Artist’s Garden’ is yet another shining example of the talent, dedication and teamwork that defines learning at DCG. It is a privilege to watch this tradition of excellence continue to grow.”

Teacher of Horticulture, Paul Brady, said: “This is exactly the kind of real-world challenge that brings out the very best in our students. Designing and constructing a show garden for BBC Gardeners’ World Live requires every skill they have developed on the programme: plantsmanship, construction, design and teamwork, and they have risen to it brilliantly. The concept of The Artist’s Garden is beautiful, and the students threw themselves into every detail of the build with incredible dedication. I am enormously proud of what they have achieved.”

Show Garden Designer, Denise Rice, said: “Working with the students at Derby College Group to bring this vision to life has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Sharing the creative process with them has been a real pleasure, and to see the finished garden recognised with a Silver Medal at Gardeners’ World Live is a moment I will never forget.”

In keeping with DCG’s commitment to sustainability, the garden uses predominantly locally sourced and reclaimed natural materials, and all components will be dismantled, rehomed and repurposed after the show.

The project received generous support from a number of sponsors.