Wakefield gardener has his sights set on Chelsea Flower Show

Jamie Butterworth, 27, has designed his garden for children’s mental health charity Place2Be.

He said: “Children’s mental health has never been more important.

“Fifty per cent of people with a lifetime mental health issue first developed symptoms before the age of 14.”

Jamie now lives in Berkshire but his parents still live in Durkar and he is a frequent visitor to his home city.

He said: “ I had a passion for plants from the age of eight although neither my parents or my grandparents, or in fact, anyone in my family is a gardener.

“I spent my teenage years growing vegetables in my grandparents’ garden.

“I grew exhibition carrots and onions and entered them into the local vegetable shows.

“One year I won the award for the longest carrot at the Horbury District show.”

When he was 17 Jamie fought it out against hundreds of other contestants to come fourth in the BBC’s Young Gardener of the Year.

He studied at Askham Bryan College in York and then RHS Garden Wisley.

In 2016 he became one of eight Royal Horticultural Society’s ambassadors joining Alan Titchmarsh, Mary Berry and Nick Knowles.

Jamie spent four years working for a company growing plants for the Chelsea Flower Show, then in 2018 he set up his own business.

He said: “I wrote a book for the RHS called Fifty Plants That You Can’t Kill.

“With the proceeds I bought a van, some tools and a computer and the company evolved from there.”

Jamie made RHS history in 2019 when he won all four top awards at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show - Best in Show, People’s Choice, best construction and gold medal.

Then in 2020 he launched Form Plants which supplies the landscaping industry with trees and plants.

Jamie’s Chelsea design has been developed with input from staff and pupils at a primary school in West London and after the show it will be relocated to the school grounds.