John Foley in running for BBC Young Gardener of the Year (From Craven Herald)

John Foley in running for BBC Young Gardener of the Year

11:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Local news

John Foley, who runs the award-winning plant nursery Holden Clough Nursery, at Bolton-by-Bowland, has been shortlisted as BBC Young Gardener of the Year.

Out of an initial 700 entries, John is down to the last four and the winner will be revealed in a special programme being broadcast on BBC3 on Sunday at 8pm.

“The whole experience was a real eye-opener to how many young people are interested in gardening,” said 24-year-old John, who studied horticulture at Askham Bryan College and has run the nursery for three years.

He and the other three finalists spent a week down in Woodbridge, Suffolk, filming for the hour-long programme.

It included several rounds, which were filmed in an old aircraft hangar with presenter George Lamb and judges Chris Collins, the BBC Blue Peter gardener, and Alex Denman, manager of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

“We got along really well and the cameras didn’t seem to bother us. However, the competition was tough. We were tested, interviewed and put in the spotlight to find out just who had it in them to win the title of The BBC Young Gardener of the Year.”

But John is no stranger to success. Last year, he and partner Kate Lawson won a gold award for their plant display in the floral marquee at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show.