Homebase Garden Academy student Nicola Oakey is about to build her first RHS Show garden at BBC Gardener’s World Live (11–14 June).

Nicola, who started the Academy in September 2014, successfully submitted a design for the ‘Beautiful Borders’ category of the show. The design had to be inspired by the ‘Industrial Heritage of the West Midlands’, so Nicola took the opportunity to celebrate the amazing pottery industry that has flourished in the area, notably Spode and Wedgewood. 

“I can’t wait to bring my design to life”, said Nicola. “The Garden Academy visits Barnsdale Gardens every month to receive RHS training. It is really inspiring to spend so much time there and really fitting that it is where Geoff Hamilton filmed Gardener’s World.”  

The border, although just 3x3m in size, will be full of planting and many pottery-inspired features. An eye-catching focal point will be three salix that have been woven into bold living columns. Their shape is reminiscent of the chimneys of bottle-oven kilns, which would have dominated the industrial skyline, standing like living monuments to the pottery industry and the world-famous willow pattern. 

As if the commitment of organising a show garden was not enough, Nicola is also going to make three bespoke stepping-stones that will cross the border. Made out of broken blue and white ceramics, the stepping stones will act as a beautiful, but poignant reminder of the factories where men, women and children tirelessly worked.

Nicola’s planting scheme is simple and elegant with hints of an English cottage garden. Her border has a blue and white colour scheme; timeless colours associated with well-known potteries and will contain bold drifts of herbaceous planting interspersed with a lush carpet of creeping groundcover.

Homebase’s Garden Academy scheme, now in its second year, is growing from strength to strength. It offers young people the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of horticulture and receive the training and support they need to pursue a career in it. The students spend a year working full time in their local Homebase garden centre and have monthly training from Chelsea gold medallist Adam Frost. Students also visit a wide variety of horticultural suppliers and study toward a RHS Level 1 Award qualification.

“Designing and building a beautiful border is a great way to learn about what it takes to build a show garden, without being overwhelmed by the size of the space,” said Nicola. “The Garden Academy was lucky enough to help Adam build his Chelsea garden this year; an invaluable experience, which should really help me during Gardener’s World Live.”

Adam Frost, who founded the Academy alongside Homebase, said: “What an amazing achievement! Nicola should be proud that her design has been selected. I have no doubt this is the first of many accolades she will go on to achieve.”

Gardener’s World Live attracts over 100,000 visitors and takes place at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham