Bradstone Backs Chris Beardshaw Scholarship

Chris Beardshaw and BradstoneA unique mentoring scholarship with award-winning gardener and journalist Chris Beardshaw is to be supported until 2012 by leading hard landscaping manufacturer Bradstone.

The determined individual who wins the once in a lifetime opportunity will work alongside the talented designer and television personality for a year – and gain advice on setting up, running and marketing a business from Bradstone to help them to succeed in the exciting but tough world of landscape design.

They couldn’t be in better hands. Chris was awarded a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Gold Medal and Best in Show for his beautiful Victorian bothy garden at the 2007 Malvern Spring Gardening Show, organised by the Three Counties Agricultural Society. While Bradstone won Gold and Best in Show at the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show with Mars garden 600 Days with Bradstone.

Twelve up-and-coming garden designers have made the first shortlist for the scheme. Each is creating a display garden for the Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2008 (8-11 May), where they will have to pitch to a panel of judges on stage, and in front of a public audience, in the event’s Design for Living Theatre.

There will be a public vote, but the judging panel of Chris, RHS Head of Shows Development Bob Sweet and Ian Wright of Bradstone will have the final say that same afternoon!

The individual who puts forward the best business case and shows the greatest imagination and drive to succeed can look forward to a 12-month vocational apprenticeship with Chris, culminating in a recognised RHS qualification.

They will also create a show garden for the Malvern Autumn Show as a mid-term test – and face the ultimate challenge to build a small garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in May 2009, when Chris will step down from the panel and work side by side with his protégé.

He said: “The Malvern Spring Gardening Show really launches the gardening year. I’m local, and passionate about the area, and I did my first ever show garden here, so it’s special to me.

“We are all very excited by this new project, which as far as we know is a first on the gardening show circuit. It is important to keep shows vibrant and interesting to visitors, so we need to foster professional skills and attitudes in gardeners from an early age.

“It is not a short-term gimmick, or a one-off scheme, but a real opportunity to introduce more competition, and ultimately more display gardens, to the Malvern Show, and a ‘hand of help’ to one individual with flair and determination to develop as a designer and build up a career.”

Ian Wright said: “It’s exciting to be involved in something so innovative and at such a grass roots level within the landscaping community. We’re really optimistic that we’ll unearth someone with real energy and passion and with Chris will give them 12 months of undivided attention to turn them into a true professional.”

For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:

Sharon Gilbert – Press & PR Manager
Three Counties Agricultural Society
Telephone: 01684 584929 (direct dial)
E-mail: sharon@threecounties.co.uk

Additional Information:

Show Web Site and Box Office: www.threecounties.co.uk/springgardening
Ticket Hotline: +44 (0) 1684 584900/924

Chris Beardshaw’s Office: + 44 (0) 1242 870173
Web Site: www.chrisbeardshaw.com

Bradstone: +44 (0) 1335 372228
Web Site: www.bradstone.com/garden
PR Contact: Sarah Samways at Armadillo: +44 (0) 115 924 7180

Released: 03/05/2008