GARDENERS from Gateshead and Newcastle will be joining forces to compete in this year's Chelsea Flower Show - to boost the European Capital of Culture 2008 campaign.

In a cross-fertilisation of ideas, the horticultural experts from Gateshead's Leisure Activities and Newcastle's Cityworks teams have devised a display that celebrates the Newcastle and Gateshead bid for capital of culture status.

The display uses more than 50,000 plants and includes sculptures of the Angel of the North, created using orange blooms, and the Theatre Royal, featuring red-bronze and gold-green alternanthera.

Spanning 13 metres, by 12.5 metres across, the display is a colourful landscape of the area, centring on seven cultural icons.

Bob Davison, nursery manager at Gateshead Borough Council, who is responsible for putting together Gateshead's part of the display, said: "Gateshead has a long history of success at Chelsea, winning its first gold in 1999 and a silver gilt in 2000.

"We are hopeful that by combining our efforts with our colleagues in Newcastle that this will be another top award-winning year."

The nursery staff from each council have been involved in planning the display, which has taken six months to create.

Darlington Borough Council will not be entering this year despite success in recent years. The council has decided to invest its efforts in the £4m refurbishment of South Park and the floral displays around the town, rather than the national competition.

The Chelsea Flower Show opens on Wednesday, May 22.