GREEN FINGERED FOLK GEAR-UP FOR CHELSEA

Penny and Peter Riley from Ersham Road will start to set up their new display in three weeks time ready for this year's show which runs from May 22-27.

This season the team, which enters shows under the UK Horticulture banner, has been allocated a prestigious 100 square metre site near the central statue and will be installing a water feature.

Penny said: 'This will be our first water feature '“ what a time to start in the year of the drought.

'However we are making the water very shallow and they've been very kind to us in helping us set up.'

This will be Penny's 26th successive year exhibiting at Chelsea and if the garden pleases the judges it could be her 11th gold medal.

She's putting together a garden to display the very best of British farm produce on behalf of the English Beef and Lamb Executive.

It will include plants carefully sculpted into the shapes of a cow and a black lamb and aims to encourage people to visit their local farm shops rather than just relying on supermarkets for fresh food.

The family will also be displaying at the BBC Gardeners' World show at the NEC, Birmingham on June 14 and the Hampton Court Flower Show between July 4-9.

Penny has no shortage of volunteers to get stuck into the heavy work.

Anne Gellatly, headteacher at White House School, has offered to help break down the Chelsea exhibit and local plumber Richard McAffee has also volunteered to help out.

She said: 'He came to sort out my bathroom and when he found out what I was doing he offered his expertise.'