Garden of the Year

Zoe Ball, Manoj Malde and Lachlan Rae size up the contenders from central England and the Midlands, looking at plots in Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Walsall.

Judges Zoe Ball, Manoj Malde and Lachlan Rae tour the contenders from the north of England. In Cheshire, they discover a garden whose owner's design has made it into a series of stunning outdoor rooms. From a lake and a meadow to a swimming pool and a kitchen garden, the effect is striking. Near Huddersfield, they find a three-level garden prospering 1,000 feet up in the Pennines, on the site of an old quarry boasting everything from a terrace kitchen to a pond. Then, nestled in the heart of Manchester, the judges discover an urban garden that its owners have made into a tropical wonderland.

Zoe Ball, Manoj Malde and Lachlan Rae judge the shortlist from Scotland and Northern Ireland. Featuring a garden in Inveresk with an alpine wall, specialist planting and uniquely designed sculptures, a three-level plot in Magherafelt with wildflowers, a natural pond and beehives, a kitchen garden with its own waterfall near the Tay, and a garden making use of recycled materials overlooking the Firth of Forth.

They have travelled the length and breadth of the UK to see the most spectacular home gardens. Now judges Zoe Ball, Manoj Malde and Lachlan Rae gather at Stourhead estate in Wiltshire to deliberate over the eight finalists, including three wildcard entires, before announcing the result.