Leeds garden lover shortlisted for national final

Rachel Atkinson, 27, from Ridgeway in Chapel Allerton, has made it through to the national final, which hopes to highlight the next generation of young gardening talent.

Ms Atkinson told the Yorkshire Evening Post that she has slowly turned her gardening skills around and feels that winning the competition would be great recognition for the progress she has made.

“I’ve always loved getting out in the garden and, having just bought a new home with my partner, I’m loving my latest challenge of being able to design a garden from scratch,” she added.

One of the judges on the panel, The Royal Horticultural Society’s Young Designer of the Year Hugo Buggs believes it is encouraging to see gardening becoming increasingly popular among young people