Watch out Alan Titchmarsh. Eleven-year-old Ben Rubin Moberg has made it through to the finals of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Great British Garden Competition. If successful, he will help design a garden that will sit within the new Olympic Park in east London.
Ben, who lives in Surrey and attends Reigate School, is one of six youngsters to be selected for the contest — a joint venture between London 2012 and the RHS. Entrants were asked to create a garden design accompanied with a short explanation.
Ben tells People: “The aim of my garden is to have fun. There is an area for children’s activities and areas where older people can relax or walk through the garden and look at the flowers. I made different benches and one in the shape of a canoe boat made of plastic and metal with a seat inside.” Other bench designs include a running shoe, a weightlifting bench and a bicycle. Ben, whose favourite subject at school is design and technology, says the competition was something nice to do during his summer holidays. “I like drawing a lot and it would be nice to be a designer.” He also skateboards, enjoys nature, plays the piano and belongs to a South American-style steel pan band. He hopes to go to the Kotel next year to do his barmitzvah. Ben’s design is featured on the competition website, which is open for public voting until October 30. View it at www.rhs.org.uk
