Joe Swift taken on in allotment challenge

Joe Swift, a BBC television gardener, has been told that he will be given "a run for his money" in a forthcoming allotment challenge this summer.

Allotment holders in the midlands are aiming to replicate the gardening skills of Swift during the Gardeners World Live exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham between June 11th and 15th.

The Birmingham Mail reports that the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) and the Birmingham District Allotments Council will combine to try and create a plot similar to the one the celebrity gardener has manicured in Hackney for his Gardeners World show.

Morris Lander, regional representative of the NSALG and leader of midlands team, said: "Our plot is smaller than Joes, but we are making every attempt to get it looking the same." It includes raised beds and paths, as well as row of compost bins and a shed.

Swift studied garden design at the Chelsea Physic Garden and offers a number of greenhouse insulation tips on the BBC website.