Local winners at Hampton Court flower show

West Berkshire has two winners so far on only the second day of the event

WEST Berkshire garden designers are celebrating after winning two top class awards at this week's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

The Royal Horticultural Society flower show is held in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace; it started yesterday (Tuesday) and ends on Sunday (July 10).

Landscape designer Paul Barney (pictured), of Ashampstead, has picked up a gold in the grow your own category and won the best in class for his design of a garlic garden on behalf of garlic producers, Garlic Farm of the Isle of Wight.

The 52-year-old, who started his business, Paul Barney-Landscape, which has its nursery in Pangbourne, in the 90s, said: “There was a lot of pressure to win the gold because Garlic Farm has won the award for seven years in a row. I was delighted to win and to achieve the best in show. It was a relief.

“It was always my ambition to create a wow-factor and we had a lot of visitors walk past and say ‘wow' so I think we achieved that.”

Mr Barney said he has been interested in all things horticultural since he was a child.

“I used to grow vegetables with my father when I was young,” he said. “Then later on I supplied a lot of the restaurants in Berkshire with vegetables.”

Meanwhile, Kintbury woman Judy Cornford, aged 70, is also reported to have scooped an award at the show for her garden entitled The Eye Of The Internet Maze, which won silver in the show garden category.