76003-5WHEN Phill Osman's father died he decided to give up the job he hated and do something completely different.

The panel-beater and paint sprayer had worked in the motor trade for 26 years but had come to detest going to work each day.

So he gave it all up to fulfil his ambition to be a garden designer and the move has been a roaring success.

Just over a year later and the 43-year-old has been selected to design a garden for a prestigious show.

"I have always loved beautiful gardens and had been gardening for family and friends for nearly a decade," said Phill, of Ferndale Road, Gorse Hill. "I only really began designing them when a friend had a major operation and could no longer cut the grass.

"I took up the turf, started from scratch and thankfully she approved of the end result."

After Phill's father died in 2001 he started thinking about his own life.

"When something like that happens you realise your own mortality," he said.

"When it sunk in I thought, do I really want to do this thing that I had come to detest? I had had 26 years of mucking about with cars and I had just got to the stage where I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life."

Garden designing started as a hobby but in December 2003 Phill gave up his job to work on it full time.

He studied a City And Guilds course at Swindon College and credits much of his success to the help to got there.

"My tutor, John Gillam, has given up an awful lot of his own time to help out," said Phill.

"All the staff have been really supportive."

He has now been selected to build one of 13 show gardens for the Malvern Spring Gardening Show in Worcestershire.

The creation called You Just Plant Around It uses a series of circles and arcs.

The borders are herbaceous and under-planted with spring bulbs, including tulips and aliums.

Phill will start building the garden on April 18, ready for the show, which will be held at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern from May 13 to 15.

He is looking for local businesses to sponsor the garden.

Anyone interested should ring him on 01793 522498 or email phillosman@btinternet.com.

Isabel Field