HE may be king of the big breaks but when it comes to plants former world champ Dennis Taylor admits he is completely snookered.

Now, however, Blackburn's star player is aiming to create his own Cue Gardens after taking part in a green-fingered crash course.

Dennis, who has retired from the professional circuit, says he spends more time on the golf course than in the garden of his Blackburn home.

But wife Louise has persuaded the master of the green baize to try his hand at gardening and got the ball rolling by signing him up for a course at Blackburn College.

The couple were invited to join one of the college's new one-hour bite-sized courses and chose the Top Ten Summer Bedding Plants.

Dennis, who has lived in Blackburn for 35 years and now commentates on snooker for TV, learned to pot all over again when he joined the rest of the class on Tuesday.

He said: "I am absolutely useless in the garden but Louise is always trying to get me out there so this seemed like the ideal opportunity.

"Since I retired I've had a bit more time to spend but most of that is spent playing golf. I have never had any interest in gardening. Although I like looking at a nice garden, I've never had the urge to get out there and do it myself. Louise is very keen, though."

Dennis, who famously won the snooker world championship on the black ball against Steve Davis in 1985, added: "I've picked up some good tips and I've already started planning what I'm going to do. I think a snooker theme would be quite appropriate, with flowers the colours of all the balls lined up and a triangle of red roses to finish it off.

"I'm not sure Louise would go for that, though. She's got the garden just how she likes it and could be regretting her decision to let me loose in it."