A LANDSCAPE gardener from Westbury who has claimed a prestigious award at this year's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show still feels he could have done better.

Steve Gower, who has been awarded the bronze medal for his exotic seclusion garden at the show, said: "Everybody at the show has told me it should be a gold medal, and they are saying it is the best garden here, but the judges obviously didn't think so. But it is very special to have the gratification of the public."

Mr Gower left a career in the MoD to study horticulture at Lackham College and then opened his own business, Garden Development.

He said: "This is a much bigger show than Chelsea, and because people can walk freely around the garden, thousands of people will see my work, and that will hopefully be good for business."

His secluded design included bamboos, tree ferns and pineapple lilies and took five days to put together. He found it exhausting, working 100 miles from home.

To appreciate the garden, spectators pushed through the bamboo to reach the peace inside, where Mr Gower played tropical bird sounds.