IT IS a floral thank you to mark ten years of service to a Hampshire university.

And there could be few people more appropriate to open the rose garden marking Dame Mary Fagan's decade as University of Winchester's Chancellor than her successor in the role and celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh.

The new garden was officially opened in a ceremony that saw Dame Mary's service honoured and remembered in its new roses, that have been named after her.

Dame Mary stood down from her role at the university last year, having been chancellor since 2006.

She also served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire until 2014, greeting members of the royal families and dignitaries to the county as part of the role.

Now her efforts at the university have been recognised with the new garden.

During her tenure the university grew be among the top four universities in the country for student satisfaction and teaching quality.

The newly-commissioned Dame Mary Fagan roses have been planted alongside the Alan Titchmarsh Rose and the Winchester Cathedral Rose, created to recognise the university's creation by the Church of England in 1840.

Speaking at the event former Gardener's World presenter Mr Titchmarsh, said: “Being asked to be Chancellor of the University of Winchester, and to follow in the footsteps of Dame Mary, is one of the greatest honours that has ever been bestowed upon me.

"I owe to Dame Mary the fact I am a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire and for recommending me for the role of Chancellor.

"It is with tremendous pride to be able to take on a university such as Winchester and to try to do my bit for it.

"The only thing that makes me terribly chuffed about this rose garden is it is the one thing on this university campus that I know slightly more than Dame Mary does."

Dame Mary, said: “I am incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to be Chancellor of the University of Winchester for ten years.

"It is a remarkable place, ranked in the top universities with students it is now able to compete with Oxford and Cambridge.

"My warmest congratulations to everybody who has made that possible.

"It is a tremendous honour to have this garden named after me.”