A jungle-themed garden in the heart of Edinburgh has been named the winner of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine’s garden of the year 2023.

Stockbridge resident, Clive Johnson-Cooper was announced as the Judge’s Choice winner from roughly 1,000 entrants. Judges noted Johnson-Cooper’s curation of plant species and thoughtful composition in a limited courtyard space.

“It sounds counterintuitive but a small garden can actually look bigger if you put large plants in there”, says Johnson-Cooper.

“Small plants seemed to emphasise it was a small place.”

Johnson-Cooper, 53 also manages all the planting and streetscaping on Circus Lane, a popular tourist attraction in Edinburgh. He also volunteers as part of the herbaceous team at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

The award-winning garden will feature on the cover of this month’s Gardeners’ World Magazine, and will be entered into the GWM’s People’s Choice Award, voting is closed 13 November.