A Bristol gardener is hoping to "put Easton on the map" by winning a television competition.

Nick Ward, co-ordinator of Eastside Roots gardening project, is one of four people with a chance to become the Community Gardening Champion on The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

There is a prize of £10,000 of gardening vouchers at stake as well as a 10-minute slot on each programme of the next series of the show.

Mr Ward, 37, said he hoped this would be his chance to give the eco-movement in Bristol the attention it deserved, as well as recognising the hard work of all those involved.

Eastside Roots is a not-for-profit workers' co-operative that evolved from the Bristol Permaculture Group's idea to provide a gardening hub for Easton and the wider Bristol community.

The term permaculture, which comes from the idea of permanent agriculture, is about making land sustainable by working with nature.

As well as a site in Old Market, where people can grow food and take part in horticultural courses, the group is turning derelict land next to Stapleton Road station into a community park.

Mr Ward said: "We offer lots of training and information-sharing schemes and workshops, everything from keeping bees to timber framing and busting myths about food.

"We want to share information that might be lost if it is not passed down through the generations."

The idea for Eastside Roots came in 2005 when Mr Ward was studying a permaculture design course and realised Bristol, although renowned for its green credentials, lacked a gardening hub.

A team of eight volunteers agreed to form one and the project was born.

Funding came from Neighbourhood Renewal, with the support of Bristol Eastside Traders.

The project also received help from the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Scarman Trust and the Co-operative Development Agency.

Using sustainable materials, including bricks dug out of Broadmead during the building of Cabot Circus and timber from a local wood, the land will become a one-stop shop for gardening supplies, courses and advice.

"Few people in Easton have large gardens or access to allotments, this is a way for them to get involved and learn how to grow plants and food in their own gardens," said Mr Ward.

"Easton station was previously run-down, there was drug taking going on and even muggings.

"As a result, the train companies were looking at running fewer trains because no one felt safe using them.

"Now that has been transformed into something positive, it is a much nicer, safer space and people have told us it is much more comfortable to be there; the drug dealers have gone elsewhere.

"Now groups can come and use the space, we're going to open a garden centre here too."

Word of the project spread and Mr Ward's name was put forward for the gardening champion title.

He said he was staggered to make it on to the shortlist.

"I think there was about 1,000 applicants so I really didn't expect to hear anything but four days later I was preparing for the heats and then we're through to the final," he said.

"It's not just me though, there have been so many volunteers involved."

The winner of the Community Gardening Champion will be chosen at 3pm on the ITV show on Monday. The community garden centre will be launched at a spring fair on April 25.