The Shropshire Star is commissioning a life-sized bronze sculpture of gardening legend Percy Thrower in memory of the county’s adopted son.

The newspaper is funding the project from its own pocket to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his arrival in the county, and will see the bust unveiled at the Shrewsbury Flower Show in August.

Star promotions manager Jackie Gaze said: “Percy lived in Shrewsbury, the county town in our circulation area, and since he passed away there hasn’t been anything to commemorate him.

“Everyone remembers him and asks why nothing has been done. We are going to put that right this year.”

Shrewsbury sculptress Jane Robbins, a cousin of Sir Paul McCartney, is working on the bust, which will be unveiled by Percy’s widow, Connie.

When the statue is completed, it will be cast at the Castle Fine Art Foundry in Llanrhaeadr near Oswestry and then displayed in The Quarry, Shrewsbury’s town park.

Percy was the first gardener to become a household name when he joined the BBC’s Gardeners Club in 1956, and later became the first Blue Peter gardener.

Although not originally from Shropshire, Percy is lauded as one of the county’s most famous sons after he and his wife moved to the county from Derby in 1946. He died in 1988, aged 75.