A COLLAPSED wall cost a Ledbury garden design firm a prestigious RHS gold medal.

A stone wall included in Garden Interest's show garden "Mines a Stage of Life" keeled over just ten minutes before judges were due to rate the design.

The markers gave the firm, who have been based in Ledbury for two and half years, extra time to repair the damage, but they could only rectify things so far and were awarded a silver gilt flora medal.

The garden's designer, Robin Higgins, said: "The judges said we were due to get a gold but because of the situation with the wall we were given a silver.

"The only consolation is that last year we thought we were robbed when we only got a silver, but it feels like we've earned this award."

The £10,000 garden featured a waterfall running through a series of blooming plants as well as a piece of old combine harvester representing a mine's coal winch.

Other competitors helped the team from Garden Interest re-erect the collapsed wall.

They included Madresfield Design Associates, which claimed a Silver Medal on its return to the show after an eight-year break.

Its impressive "Ruined Temple" was based on Rudyard Kipling's classic The Jungle Book and included a series of "monster plants" and genuine Indian antique artefacts.

"We decided we wanted to do something fun and try to use some of the big leaves and monster plants from a company in Evesham," said designer Hilary Collins.

"We haven't been here for a while so to get a silver is good. But I think the public has been more impressed than the judges. At times the crowds have been 20-deep and there's been an outstanding amount of interest in it," she continued.

Gold medal winner Ian Morris, of the Shropshire Institute of Groundsmanship said: "The national coverage we get from winning a gold in Malvern might earn us an invite to other RHS shows.

"Our next meeting is later in May and we'll be thinking of ideas for next year's Malvern show then because we enjoy coming here - it's a lovely friendly atmosphere and everyone mucks in and helps if it's required."

l Robin Higgins with his garden "Mines a Stage of Life" after it was hastily re-built. 20183608