THE newest ranger in the Yorkshire Dales has switched his attention to London - to help create the Welcome to Yorkshire show-garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.

Tom Hickey, 24 and from Earby, landed his ranger job this month, after spending two years gaining a wealth of practical skills and experience through a Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust rural apprenticeship.

And this week he is helping to build a show garden inspired by his home tur, and which has been sponsored by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

The garden promises to bring the sights, smells and tastes of the Yorkshire Dales to a global audience. It will feature woodland, lush pastures, a cultivated cottage garden, flowing beck and a stone bothy.

“Working in the Yorkshire Dales I had expectations of what the garden may look like, but this goes beyond that,” said Tom.

“It incorporates man-made features including traditional dry stone walls, a stone barn and weighted hand gate, with the natural features of bubbling streams and meadows you would find on the fell sides.”

He added: “Working with the team at Chelsea is a great experience.

“Aside from being fantastic to work alongside, the team have a brilliant knowledge of the Dales and have used their expertise and finesse to build a landscape that would fit perfectly within the National Park.”