The design brief this year is focused on making the most of small urban gardens. Each college will have a 5.5m x 4m plot for their show garden.

The garden should inspire city dwellers to show all that can be achieved in urban locations. It must create a sense of tranquillity and sustainability and act as an escape from city life.

The garden design should demonstrate an understanding of harmony and sustainability and incorporate a sense of proportion. It should also make clever use of the vertical dimension, which is especially important in small gardens.

The plants should be inspiring, focusing on which varieties look their best in spring and using savvy plant association.

However, the garden may be traditional or contemporary, and there are no themes or restrictions on subject or plants. We actively encourage diversity of design and want students to have as much freedom as possible to create their vision.

There is a special focus this year on sustainability through the use of water harvesting and sustainable urban drainage systems.

See the 2015 show gardens