MADGE Green, the driving force behind Farnham in Bloom, a prized gardener and flower arranger, and accomplished journalist who counted Margaret Thatcher among her interviewees, has died aged 89.

Born in Derbyshire on October 17, 1927, Madge (nee Slaney) enjoyed a joyous childhood in the Peak District before following her father’s job to Sheffield along with her mother and younger sister Anne.

Upon leaving school aged 14, she took a job on the switchboard of the Sheffield Telegraph where, upon reaching her early 20s, she would later meet a young junior reporter by the name of Phil Green.

The couple married in the early 1950s and bought their first house, a three-bed semi, for £1,500 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, where Phil had taken a job as deputy editor of the local paper.

Madge began contributing to the paper’s women’s page and got her big break when her story for BBC’s Children’s Hour was read on the air by Uncle Mac. This earned her a princely sum of £2.10 but set Madge’s writing career in motion.

From there she began writing freelance for a variety of women’s magazines, including Women’s Weekly for whom she famously bagged an interview with the then-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

She was gifted an hour with the Iron Lady in her study at Number 10, which they spent discussing Maggie’s favourite subject - gardening - and the challenges associated with growing plants in Downing Street’s shaded gardens.

Madge went on to interview many other inspiring women over the years, including romance novelist Dame Barbara Cartland who sent a Rolls Royce to pick her up from the nearest station.

This followed the couple’s move to Upper Old Park Lane, Farnham, shortly after the Queen’s Coronation in 1955 after Phil successfully applied for a job as editor of the Surrey & Hants News.

Madge also practiced flower arranging as a hobby and grew to be a national judge for the National Association of Flower Arrangement Society, as well as helping establish the society’s hugely successful Aldershot branch.

In Farnham, Madge also founded the Farnham and District Charity Support Group with a group of friends, and it was this same group of friends that Madge would go on to adopt the fledgling Farnham in Bloom project in 1990.

Over the next 15 years, Madge and her ladies won numerous awards including prizes from South East in Bloom, a special mention in the Queen Mother’s birthday awards and a nomination to represent South East in Bloom.

Eventually, in 2005, Madge decided to hang up her gardening gloves and hand over the reigns to Farnham Town Council, and Farnham in Bloom has since won a gluttony of awards, peaking with a Silver Gilt at last year’s Britain in Bloom.

Madge’s husband Phil said: “Madge was a great organiser, that was her thing, she got things going and organised them.

“Farnham in Bloom, which she started with a group of just a dozen women, all volunteers, turned out to be a marvellous thing for the town and it put Farnham on the map in many ways.

“She loved Farnham and she liked doing things for Farnham, and I think that’s why she did it for so long without any full-time park staff or gardeners to help them.”

Phil added, thanks to Madge, the couple always had beautiful gardens wherever they lived.

A number of years ago they sold their home of 36 years in Upper Old Park Lane and moved into a smaller house in Fox Yard. But even though their new garden was “tiny”, in Phil’s words “Madge still kept it immaculate”.

Paying tribute, Farnham Town Council’s lead member for community enhancement Stephen Hill said: “We are deeply saddened to hear the news that Madge Green, the original driving force behind Farnham in Bloom has passed away.

“However, we are truly grateful for the amazing legacy that has been left by this wonderful and inspirational lady.

“Madge’s dream was to make Farnham a beautiful town in which to live, work and visit and this was at the heart of everything she and her team did.

“In her 15 years of being involved in Farnham in Bloom, Madge worked tirelessly to raise a massive £25,000 and was instrumental in Farnham in Bloom winning numerous awards.

“Members of our outside workforce have fond memories of Madge and remember her as being very caring and passionate about Farnham. She had a reputation for being determined and for getting things done.

“Even after Madge stepped down from Farnham in Bloom, she was always very supportive and ready to offer advice. Her wisdom and knowledge will be missed but not forgotten by the Farnham in Bloom team.”

Madge died peacefully at Frimley Park Hospital on Saturday, March 25, three weeks after being taken ill at the Downing Street Surgery with what doctors now believe was a growth on her brain.

She is survived by husband Phil, sister Anne, brother-in-law Kenneth and two nieces. Her funeral will take place at Aldershot Crematorium at 11.30am on April 18. Enquiries to HC Patrick, Farnham.