Lifetime achievement award for gardening tutor

Mike Baldwin said being given the award was "crazy"

A college lecturer from Derby is hanging up his trowel and secateurs after 36 years of teaching.

Mike Baldwin has been part of the horticulture team at Derby College's Broomfield Hall campus since 1988.

The popular teacher was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Gardeners' World magazine in June.

Mr Baldwin said it was “crazy” to receive the award and said he would miss the profession.

Over the years, Mr Baldwin and his students have created more than 20 show gardens for BBC Gardeners’ World Live.

He said: “I’ve done over 20 show gardens at Gardeners’ World – big gardens in the professional category and they wanted to give me a lifetime award for it. They’ve never done that before.

“The beautiful thing is I get students who have done one with me who go on and do one themselves – one of the students got a Gold in her category.”

Their entry for this year's event - which was held in June - was designed in collaboration with Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust, highlighting the Bonsall Field Barn Restoration Project.

Mike Baldwin has now led 36 show garden projects

It included dry stone walling - typical of the area - and a limestone path representing the Limestone Way.

It was planted with predominantly UK natives around a dew pond, and a representation of a covered, disused lead mine shaft featuring T'Owd Man of Bonsall.

One of his current students, Aimee, said: “He’s mad – definitely mad.

“I know as a group of students we all feel really privileged to have Mike as our tutor and feel actually really lucky we’ve done this in the last year he’ll do it.”

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