Carleen’s design, created alongside her husband Nick, was praised for its contemporary style, upcycled features, and ecologically conscious planting.
Designed to be pollinator-friendly and sustainable, the garden made clever use of local microclimates and incorporated features such as a log pile, leaf mulch and dense hedging to provide habitats for small mammals and amphibians.
Chair of the Showcase Garden assessors, David Stevens, an internationally respected garden designer, described Carleen’s work as “a very cool, contemporary garden with elegant features and a distinctive zigzag pattern that made the space feel bigger.
The texture and form of the planting brought the garden alive, treating flowers as a bonus rather than the main event.
The use of leaf mulch in the shady side looked particularly beautiful. It was a fantastic result, created on a minimal budget.
Carleen’s success at this year’s event follows her involvement in Derby College Group’s celebrated tradition of creating show gardens for BBC Gardeners’ World Live.
In 2023, while studying at the College’s Broomfield Hall campus, she designed The Restoration Garden, which explored themes of dereliction and renewal, inspired by the historic Wingfield Station in Derbyshire.
That garden combined wild, naturalistic planting with structured, contemporary features to reflect the transformation of the once-derelict 1840s railway station. The garden was awarded a Silver Merit at the show.
Since completing her studies, Carleen has gone on to establish her own garden design business, continuing to work on projects that champion sustainable, wildlife-friendly planting and innovative outdoor spaces.
Her continued success is a testament to the College’s horticulture programme and the valuable opportunities it offers students to gain real-world experience at major industry events.
Staff and students at Derby College Group were among those celebrating Carleen’s latest achievement and the recognition it brings to local horticultural talent.
