SCHOOLGIRL Raechel Beardwood created a dream garden for her neighbours to enjoy -- thanks to a misunderstanding.

Great Harwood Rotary Club asked pupils from the town's schools to come up with designs for a small flower bed for the millennium.

But Raechel , then 11 and a pupil at Great Harwood Primary School, misunderstood and designed an entire garden.

Her idea, which later incorporated a time capsule, impressed the judges so much that they decided to build her design on a grand scale.

The Rotary Club joined forces with Great Harwood Civic Society and Hyndburn Council to raise more than £23,000 to help build the masterpiece.

And after two years of fund raising and planning the Great Harwood Millennium Garden, built close to Churchfield house, Park Lane, was finally opened by deputy mayor of Hyndburn councillor Derek Scholes.

Raechel, now 12, who attends Norden High School, Rishton, said: "I'm not quite sure how it happened but I was given the wrong information so I was really surprised when I was told they were using my design. But it has definitely lived up to what I imagined and is really beautiful.

"I am really grateful for all of the help doing this and would like to thank everyone involved and I think it would be nice if they could organise another competition like this so other children can experience what I have.

"I don't really think I'll still be here when they open the capsule but it would be nice to think that my children would be and they could tell people that their mum designed it."

The time capsule in the centre of the garden contains letters from schoolchildren, business people and locals describing what life is currently like in Great Harwood.

Other goodies inside the capsule include cassettes, videos, newspaper cuttings and photos which will all provide an insight into life today for children of the future when the capsule is opened in 100 years.

The garden, which replaced a derelict brownfield site, is divided into three sections by pathways leading towards the centre. Each sector contains lawns, flower beds with sweet-smelling lavender shrubs and a bench.

There is also an arbour with jasmine intertwined in the iron framework and a wall on either side of the garden featuring plaques with the names of each contributor to the finished project.

Spokesman for the Rotary club Harry Dean said: "We originally wanted to make the area attractive by asking school children to design a garden but when we saw Raechel's idea of a time capsule, we decided it was the way to go.

"There are all sorts of things in the capsule which will explain what life was like here in 2001.

"We spent two years collecting cash for the project and it's wonderful to see it come to fruition."