Audley End House and Gardens in Essex will be the battleground for two local landscaping companies to pit their skills at the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair in association with English Heritage (30 August – 1 September).

Crack teams from Tisserand English Garden Landscapes in Bishops Stortford and Landscapes By Design in Basildon are taking on the challenge of the Association of Professional Landscapers’ Skills Competition. The two APL member companies will be showcasing their teams’ talents to complete an impressive competition standard show garden in just 16.5 hours. Keeping a close eye on the proceedings – and the clock – will be the Association’s professional judges, who will assess for interpretation of the brief, use of materials, technical skills, quality of workmanship, attention to detail and finish.

The year’s APL Skills Competition theme is ‘That’s Entertainment’ and each garden must incorporate paved, decked and planted areas, with a water feature and feature tree. The teams will begin work two days before the Autumn Fair opens to the public, making their final touches on the event’s opening Friday (30 August) when the clock will stop at midday. Visitors will be able to inspect the finished show gardens throughout the event, picking up inspiration and ideas to take home from some of the landscaping industry’s leading professionals.

Members of the Association of Professional Landscapers will be hosting a Design Clinic at the Autumn Fair, offering visitors expert one-to-one advice on garden design and landscaping.

Tisserand’s entry, There’s No Place Like Home, has been designed by award-winning Hertfordshire-based garden designer Sarah Plested from Bramley Apple Garden Design. The garden is a stylish social space to enjoy food, drinks and fun with friends and family.

Landscapes By Design’s entry, Fiesta Flora, has been designed by Paul Newman from Hertfordshire-based Design Scape. The garden blends the natural beauty of plants with a spirit of celebration and relaxation.

Phil Tremayne at the Association of Professional Landscapers said: “The APL Skills Competition is designed to inspire and impress Autumn Fair visitors, and to prove that gardens don’t have to be big to be beautiful. Our assessors have extremely exacting standards and will be watching the teams with both a technical and creative perspective. The theme has great potential to highlight Essex’s popular reputation for fun, sociable and stylish living. These are two exceptional landscaping companies so expectations are high. We’re really looking forward to seeing what the teams have in store for us. And if visitors like what they see, the APL Design Clinic is the perfect place to stop by for a chat with one of our experts about inspiration for their own garden.”

Rachel Poletti-Gadd, Portfolio Director at Immediate Live, organisers of the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, said: : “The APL Skills Competition is always a highlight of the Autumn Fair. We know that Friday visitors really enjoy seeing the competing teams’ last-minute brushing and tidying as the final seconds tick down. Creating a show garden is no mean feat, but in just 16.5 hours, that’s a tall order for even the most experienced landscaper. The companies that step forward to take on this challenge each year are great ambassadors for the professional landscaping industry. We’re delighted to support them by showcasing their work to the Autumn Fair’s thousands of visitors.”  

The BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in association with English Heritage, takes place at Audley End House and Gardens from 30 August – 1 September. Highlights include a collection of inspiring new Showcase Gardens, Beautiful Borders and plant displays. The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Stage hosted by the magazine’s editors features seasonal gardening chat with Gardeners’ World TV presenters Adam Frost (Friday), Joe Swift (Saturday) and, new to the Fair, Rachel de Thame (Sunday). At the new Get Growing Stage, TV chef Marcus Bean (also new to the event) will be hosting a daily programme of sessions with expert produce growers. There are Plant Expert garden tours, hands-on autumn bouquet, mushroom growing, seed sowing and new bug hotel workshops, and historical performances to enjoy. There’s plant and garden shopping galore featuring many exhibitors that are new to the Fair, and plenty of great food and drink to enjoy and take home at the Good Food Market. Tickets include access to Audley End House, gardens and grounds. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds.

Advance adult prices for the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair start from £16.50 (concessions £15.50), or £13.50 for English Heritage adult members (£12 concessions). Find out more and book tickets at www.bbcgardenersworldfair.com. Details correct at time of writing.