Winning gardens in bloom

Saddleworth In Bloom winners of Large Garden, Susan Haines and David Haines, Grasscroft.

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THE annual Saddleworth in Bloom competition has uncovered the parish's best gardens for 2017.

A panel of three judges travelled the moors and valleys in their search of the winners of the Best Small Garden, Best Medium Garden and Best Large Garden awards.

Following yesterday's feature on the competition successfuls, the Chronicle can now reveal the final three winners.

The Best Small Garden award, which is given to pretty plots measuring less than 125 square metres, went to Charina Dwayre, of Springhead.

Her garden incorporated seasonal bedding flowers and perennials, with a children's blue summer house for the backdrop.

A matching table and chairs at her Radcliffe Street home were used to feature a selection of painted flower pots, with the whole garden being set off with hanging baskets.

Four miles away, Bill Dean and Eileen Lovsin are also reaping what they have sown in their Dobcross garden.

The gardening partners won the award for Best Medium Garden, which goes to gardens over 125 square metres but under 250 square metres.

Bill said: "We have containers everywhere, so we were very surprised to be entered into the Medium Garden category.

"But we were very proud to win. A lot of work went into it.

"Now I'm retired, I spend a lot of time out there."

About 20 pots form a feature piece at the front of the house in Mount Lane, alongside a climbing shrub.

While a larger scattering of pots, centred around spiralling steps and a summer house, brought the rear garden to life.

Finally, David and Susan Haines have won the Best Large Garden award.

Their plot of more than 250-square-metres in Beech Lane, Grasscroft, includes an attractive wishing well, steps leading up to another garden as well as nooks and crannies broken up with evergreen, shrubs and plants of all shapes and sizes.

Phormiums, cordylines and other grasses feature alongside an assortment of flowers in the borders, all luring visitors around the next corner.

David said: "We were very pleased to win. It is all our own work and it's nice to have it appreciated.

"I cut the lawns and borders, while Susan chooses the plants and does the titivating.

"We like sharing the garden. We opened it up not long ago to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

It takes David one hour to cut the rear lawn using a ride-on tractor and a further hour and 30 minutes to mow the other lawns.

There is also a woodland walk to maintain, weeding to be done not to mention cutting and pruning dozens of hedges.

Saddleworth Parish Council clerk Pam Bailey, one of the three competition judges, said: "The number of entries was significantly down this year, but the standard of entries was very very high and it was very difficult to choose the winners."

The judges collectively said the standard of entries was very high and their decision had not been easy.

They offered their thanks to everyone who took part and said they hoped to see an even bigger competition next year.

• Check out more pictures of Saddleworth in Bloom on our picture sales page.