But Libby has nominated herself in the Worst Garden category, hoping it will spur herself on to challenge Claire, who is her neighbour and a very good friend, next year.

Libby said she has always been a reasonably keen gardener and spent many hours weeding and planting after she and her husband Ian moved into their newly-built house in Summers Way, Harborough, seven years ago.

However, having decided to build an extension to the house, which eats into the garden, the combination of the builders, their materials and the general chaos have left them with little more than a building site – much like when they first moved in!

The couple's three cats add to the general mess by running around the muddy garden and playing in it before bringing the mud back into the house.

Libby said she and Ian (40), who works at RCI in Kettering, will need to work extremely hard to restore the garden to its former (and hopefully much improved) glory, so winning the prize in the Worst Garden category would help them on their way enormously.

Libby (33) works at Tresham College in Corby and said she would love to be able to challenge Claire next year for the Most Imaginative Garden Award and encourage a bit of friendly neighbourhood rivalry.

She thinks to progress from Worst to Most Imaginative garden would be a true success story!