Money may not grow on trees but one of the more usual exibits at Strathclyde could well nurture an interest in a new and controversial currency.

The display is aimed at promoting interest in the euro, the single European currency. Designer Caroline Boyle's planting scheme is based on the flag and symbols from the draft bank notes - and so the archway and bridge are being built as garden structures. At the front is a cheeky bit of planting with a stony area symbolising how rocky the road to monetary union has been.

Many of the plants have names connected with finance - Rosa banksiae ''Lutea'', Pennyroyal, Golden Spaniard, Potentilla ''Goldrush'', and a ''bank of London Pride''.

Nearly every garden centre and nursery in Scotland was scoured to source the plants.

The display is sponsored by the European Commission's Edinburgh office where Boyle worked in a marketing and PR role, writing speeches promoting such things as the Treaty of Amsterdam, and helping schools understand the general policies of the European Union.

The Commission thought that an exhibit at Strathclyde would be a good way to get people talking about the euro.

Boyle says: ''With the visual impact of the blue and yellow of the European Union flag and the Euro symbol we hope to attract a lot of interest, and there is an information tent alongside the garden.''

The display was planned as a DIY production on a small budget with everyone in the office - and their families and friends - helping out.

However, the team enlisted professional help to undertake the daunting task of removing the turf, which will be replaced after the show is over.

Boyle is a keen gardener - and she has qualifications to prove it. Eleven years ago she gained the status of a Master Gardener of Virginia in the

United States.

Between marketing contracts, Boyle creates gardens for other people, and this ambitious Strathclyde project may lead to a gardening career taking off.

However, the main aim of her show garden is to encourage people to think about what the Euro will mean for the UK. Further information on the Euro and on European Union policies is available in the Internet at http://europa.eu.int.

n Shop 'til you drop could be the motto for the visitor who wants to sample the latest in gardening accessories around the show. Stalls and stands offer everything from gloves to greenhouses, as well as humble spades and forks. After last year's success, a much

enlarged area of stalls will feature craft and plant villages A Celebrity Theatre will offer daily talks, demonstrations and question

and answer sessions There is also a large marquee which is dedicated to flower

arranging.