A team of horticulture and landscaping students from Merrist Wood College in Worplesdon are preparing to showcase their talents on a national stage.

They have entered the prestigious College Show Gardens competition at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair in Beaulieu, Hampshire, from 1–3 May, the fourth year in a row that Merrist Wood students have taken part in the event.

Over the past two years they have secured platinum awards and were named the Best in Show, reinforcing the college’s strong reputation for excellence in land-based education and garden design.

This year’s team, Olly Britten, 19, Ciaran Wright, 18, Harvey Fox, 21, Milo Wheeler, 19, Emily Harwood, 19, Ellie Burchett, 18, and Matthew Jones, 17, will present a thoughtfully designed garden titled Heritage Rewoven, created in response to this year’s competition theme, Reimagined Traditions.

The College Gardens competition is renowned for highlighting emerging horticultural talent, offering students the opportunity to design and build a full-scale show garden for a major public audience.

Inspired by the evolution of horticultural education since Merrist Wood College first opened in 1945, the garden reflects changing priorities in both teaching and garden design.

In the post-war era, land-based colleges played a crucial role in food production, helping to feed the nation.

Today, the curriculum has expanded to include sustainability, biodiversity and the broader social value of green spaces—an evolution mirrored in modern gardens themselves.

Heritage Rewoven will bring these ideas to life through a series of innovative and sustainable design features, including a pathway constructed from repurposed cable drums and a woven willow structure set beneath a canopy of trees.

Designed as a place for rest and reflection, the structure will also provide a habitat for local wildlife, including blue tits commonly seen around the Merrist Wood campus.

Sustainability remains central to the project beyond the event itself: following the Spring Fair, the willow structure will be relocated to West Horsley Place, where the materials were originally harvested, while the plants will be reused as teaching resources in the college nursery.

As in previous years, the Merrist Wood team is being expertly mentored by award-winning garden designer Cherry Carmen.

Merrist Wood College horticulture tutor, Sarah Matthews, who is leading the student team in the competition, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the dedication and passion this team have shown throughout the process.

“They’ve worked tirelessly to bring their ideas to life, demonstrating not only strong technical skills but also real creativity and innovation.

“Their professionalism has been outstanding at every stage, and it’s been a pleasure to see their confidence grow as the project has developed.

“Heritage Rewoven is a true reflection of their hard work and vision, and I’m excited for visitors to experience what they’ve created.

”The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair attracts thousands of visitors each year and for the Merrist Wood students represents not only a chance to demonstrate their creativity and technical skills, but also to inspire visitors to rethink their own outdoor spaces as biodiverse, sustainable environments.”

Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/BBCGW26