The second year of a new gardening competition on a Northampton estate has concluded and the winners have been crowned.
Richard Dron, a retired teacher, launched the event last year in memory of his beloved wife, Beryl, who died in July 2020.
The 76-year-old wanted to do something positive in his wife’s name because ‘she deserved to be remembered for something good’.
Beryl was a keen gardener and loved to grow sweet peas, so Richard decided a gardening competition around the Obelisk estate where he lives would be the best idea.
Last year’s event was a success and followed the format of a front garden winner and runner-up and a back garden winner and runner-up.
So Richard did the same again for the 2021 competition and was even able to circulate hundreds of leaflets beforehand to drum up entries.
He also secured a £50 voucher for the Sunnyside pub as a prize for the winner of the back garden competition.
Below are photos of all the winning gardens and the winners receiving their trophies and certificates.
5. Back garden winner
Last year’s back garden winner, Frances Boddington (right), her granddaughter Isla (middle left) and Richard Dron (left) presented the award to this year’s winners: Gill and Malcolm Salmon and their granddaughter Poppy Field (middle right). Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
6. Back garden winner
Gill and Malcolm bought themselves a garden archway as a retirement present to each other. The archway looks incredibly authentic and adds to an already beautiful and serene garden. Gill said: “It’s a busy garden and a seven-day-a-week job but we love it. “It has kept us sane throughout the pandemic.” Gill and Malcolm’s garden also includes a pond with fish and a vegetable patch where they grow potatoes, peas, cabbages and more. Gill added: “It’s our garden and I don’t know what other people have so I wasn’t sure about putting it into the competition. “I was completely shocked when Richard knocked on the door to say we had won. “We’re very honoured.” Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
7. Back garden runner-up
The couple’s garden is immaculate and even includes a summer house that Alan built around 15 years ago. Carol added: “Gardening is in the family really. It’s a great stress relief and it sends you into a different world. “The best piece of advice I ever got was: ‘If you see a weed, pick it up and then you’ll never have any weeds’.” Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
8. Back garden runner-up
Carol and Alan Garrett, who won the front garden award last year, bagged the runners-up spot in the back garden category this year. Carol said: “Everyone said we should enter our back garden so we thought we’d give it a try. “Some of our ornaments are years old and some of them were from my mum’s garden.” Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.