STUDENTS joined a celebrity gardener to create a dream garden for a former college cook whose husband died days before retiring.

The group from Askham Bryan College, near York, were working with television personality and garden designer, Alan Mason, to help create the green heaven for former college staff member Sue May.

Sue and her husband, Keith, who had both worked at the college, had moved to Caythorpe, in Linconshire, but planned to retire in the York area.

When Sue inherited her father's bungalow in her home village of Strensall, they sold up and returned to North Yorkshire.

Tragically, Keith died from a heart attack last May when working in the garden, while the renovations were still under way. He was only 33 days from retirement,

But Sue decided she belonged in Strensall, and that she would continue the venture on her own.

With help from the horticultural students and Alan, who is originally from Tadcaster, the garden should be ready in time for Sue's move into her new home.

Yorkshire TV garden designer Alan, who had been studying horticulture at Askham Bryan when Keith taught there, was asked to design and create the new garden.

He said: "About 20 years ago, I bought a property in Brittany. Yorkshire TV filmed the making and creation of my Brittany garden, and I had an idea we could recreate that feeling here."

Nigel Harrison, a tutor at Askham Bryan and BBC Radio York Gardening presenter said: "We chose the best students from the course who needed some experience. They did a sterling job."

Alan said: "With the help of Nigel Harrison we were able to get some students to help with the planting.

"We transformed the garden in a day, Sue was delighted. We all had big smiles on our faces, and we really felt like we'd done something worthwhile.

"Because Sue used to work in the college canteen, food galore was on hand! It was a win-win-win situation. Everyone benefited, apart from my diet!"

Updated: 09:23 Saturday, March 25, 2006