Medal-winning gardener Chris Myers had more on his mind than usual when he competed in this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live show at Birmingham – the arrival of his baby daughter.

Poppy, the first child of Chris and his wife, Moira, was born three weeks ago, right in the middle of final preparations for his show entry, named “The Ricola Herb Garden of Natural Refreshment”.

All the show gardens were judged on Tuesday and Chris’s entry was awarded a silver medal.

Last year’s entry, also for Ricola, earned Chris a gold medal – one of just three awarded throughout the show – and this year’s silver adds to his growing haul of medals.

Buoyed by last year’s success, Chris “upped the ante” this time with an entry that covered twice the space. His creation again drew on the uplifting scenery of the Swiss Alps and included a gentle waterfall and meadow planting.

Chris, 33, who lives in Thornton-in-Craven, made his competition debut in 2004 and won both a gold medal and “Best Garden in Show”.

He came back with a silver gilt at the RHS show at Tatton Park, Cheshire, the following year and, in 2007, went back to Birmingham where he won silver. Two years later he struck gold again.

Chris said he was a little disappointed not to have taken top honours this year, but was still proud of his achievement.

“Show gardens take months of planning and preparation and the whole team is delighted with the finished results and, of course, the medal achievement,” he said.

“Creating a garden with a plant list of herbs was always going to be a challenge, but I think that the silver proves we’ve pulled it off again and hope that it inspires more people to make more of the herbs in their own gardens.

“Another great thing about this garden is that, although it has been inspired by Switzerland, its roots are very much in Yorkshire. Local drystone waller George W Murray created several of the features, while we had stone and some of the plants donated by Dales villagers – it has been a great team effort.”