A NEWLY qualified Studley gardener will be digging for victory in Birmingham after her herbaceous border design was chosen for the Gardeners World beautiful border competition.

Nia Blake of Studley Corner, who runs Blake Garden Design, will present her border to commemorate 50 years of BBC Gardeners' World magazine at the NEC show in Birmingham in June.

Despite developing a passion for gardening at an early age, the 47-year-old only recently completed her Level 3 course in Horticulture and Garden Designs from Lackham College after giving up her post at the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

"I have been going to Gardeners' World for years and years but I had never entered their competition and this year I did it for the first time and my border design was accepted," she said. "It is amazing. At the end of the day I am still only in my first year of gardening.

"My border is inspired by the herbaceous gardens at Kew and I will be displaying two different plant families. I found out last Tuesday that it had been accepted and I am definitely going for gold.

"My passion for gardening started when I was very, very little and my grandmother took me to Chelsea. My parents were also keen gardeners so I have always been passionate about it."

The magazine selected Mrs Blake's border due to her "excellent choice of plants for the June summering period" and it will be displayed at the show from June 15-18.