DIYWEEK.net

Solus Garden & Leisure helped young gardeners compete in an exciting gardening challenge with a donation of Joseph Bentley digging spades.
Gardening students from six colleges of landscape and design have been tasked by the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and ITV gardener David Domoney to create show gardens in a matter of days during the Ideal Home Show at Earls Court in March next year. The winning entrants will be crowned Ideal Young Gardeners of the Year 2014.

Solus commercial director Ross Yealland said: "Solus is committed to helping develop the next generation of professional gardeners, so we were more than willing to help out by providing professional-standard tools for the students to use."

The students are from Capel Manor, Writtle, Chichester, Askam Bryan, Shuttleworth and Bridgwater colleges; their gardens will be assessed by a panel including Diarmuid Gavin alongside the editor of House Beautiful magazine and judges from the Prince's Foundation and the Institute of Horticulture.

"I had my first taste of show gardening at Chelsea as one of the garden build team for Notcutts during the 80's," said David Domoney, who organises the competition, which is now in its fourth year. "I hope that the 200-odd students from previous years have had just the grounding they need to be our stars of the future."