The competition included awards for Most Improved Plot, Best Crop, Best Wildlife Habitat, Be Creative and Best Allotment – voted for by local people from a shortlist shared on social media. Prizes awarded to our winners included garden tools, vouchers and apple presses.
Winner: The Wood Family
2nd Place: Sue Evans
3rd Place: Michael & Samantha Perrin
Runners up: Simon & Ben’s Allotment, John & Ellen Campbell
Nicola Hinton, Allotments Manager said:
“Everyone who entered this category should feel really proud with their achievements, they have done remarkably well turning overgrown, sometimes derelict plots into productive, well designed gardens with lots of growing. The Wood Family took on a plot in late winter, it was so overgrown that it was hard to get through the allotment gate at first! Their plot is also on different levels which they have had to re-landscape, and all while raising a very young family.”
Winner: Arthur & Julia Broughton
2nd Place: Daniel & Lydia Robak (French beans)
Runners up: Claire Soar (courgette), Stephen Brady (gladioli)
Nicola said:
“Arthur and Julia were awarded first prize for their range of brassica crops, grown under netting with companion planting.”
Winner: Penny Wilson
Runner up: Jo Swann
Nicola said:
“Penny’s passion for wildlife increased when she began filming wildlife visiting her garden at night. Foxes, hedgehogs, and birds including a pheasant have all shown up for night time feeds. Penny has several feeding stations, water sources and homes for birds and a range of habitats to suit all types of insects and amphibians.”
Winner: Samantha Perrin
Samantha captured this great shot of a robin on her plot.
Winner: Ray Leek
2nd Place: Lucy Coombes
3rd Place: Andy Smith
Nicola said:
“Thank goodness we invited the public to choose the winner! All five finalists have amazing, inspirational gardens, each has its own character and shows that these allotment holders have a huge amount of commitment and passion for gardening. Ray’s garden is such a vibrant allotment, with plenty of fruit, vegetables and flowers. It really is a special garden that makes people smile when they visit.”
Awarded to: Lawrence Edwards
Nicola said:
“Lawrence has an immaculate allotment garden with neat hedgerows and a tidy lawn but most impressively, this large allotment is filled to the brim with heathy crops of all varieties. Lawrence has been an allotment holder at St Ann’s for more than 40 years.”
Nicola concludes:
“We hope all our gardeners enjoyed taking part in this year’s competition and congratulations to our winners! The competition has been a great way to celebrate the hard work of gardeners, giving them the chance to show-off the fruits of their labour, and the wonderful community spirit here at St Ann’s Allotments.”
Ray Leek told us:
“I am absolutely thrilled to win Best All Round Allotment. St Ann’s Allotments is such a wonderful special place, I just love it.”
Feeling inspired? Would you like to visit the competition gardens in spring? Why not keep in touch by following St Ann’s Allotments for news and future events.
Facebook – stannsallotments
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Did you know?
St Ann’s Allotments is one of the biggest inner-city allotment sites in the world, as well as one of the oldest and largest collections of Victorian detached town gardens in the UK, comprising of 670 individual allotment gardens surrounded by high hedges.
The allotments are also Grade 2* listed and a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation – home to a range of 19th century heritage buildings, as well as rare wildlife, plants and trees.
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