Keen gardeners harvest a fine crop of awards

After months of hard work, more than 30 gardeners and groups scooped prizes at the 2014 Oxford in Bloom awards.

The free competition invited residents across the city to brighten up their gardens and open spaces for the chance to come first in one of 12 categories.

Prizes were awarded to the top three in each category at the Town Hall in St Aldate’s, with winners receiving a cash prize, certificate and trophy.

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Judges Trisha Stevens and John Alcock hit the streets from Monday, July 21, to judge each entry on colour, impact, tidiness, quality, choice and arrangement of planting.

Mrs Stevens, 69, who has been a judge since 1997, said: “The entries were very, very good. I was very impressed.

“It’s important for people to get together, it’s lovely to see. We are walking around and we see all these lovely creations.

“Oxford is a beautiful city and it just makes Oxford look even more beautiful.”

Best uni/college display – The Rhodes Trust

Oxford University’s Rhodes Trust won gold for its Oxford in Bloom entry.

Head gardener Neil Wigfield, who was unable to attend the awards ceremony, was recognised for his efforts tending to Rhodes House, the trust’s base in South Parks Road.

Executive assistant to the warden, Kate Tilley, said: “Neil did it all himself. He has been working on it the entire year.

“We are very excited, very happy. Neil does work very hard in the garden. Personally it feels amazing.

“The House is beautiful and the gardens are a huge part of that. We get a lot of visitors every year.”

• Betty Fletcher

Most beautiful balcony – Betty Fletcher

Disabled Northway resident Betty Fletcher was elated after taking gold in the Most Beautiful Balcony category, silver in the Gardening for Disabled category and bronze in the Best Kept Small Garden category.

The 70-year-old filled her balcony and garden with an explosion of begonias, petunias and busy lizzies.

She said: “I just want to tell people how happy I am. I’m overcome really, a bit emotional. I think I’m going to wake up and it’s a dream.”

Mrs Fletcher said of Oxford in Bloom: “I think it is such a wonderful event. Yes we all work hard but I think the judges have a hard job because everybody does some stunning displays.

“It’s a challenge to do it but it just spurs you on to do something you love doing.”

• Red Lion owners Diana and Stewart Berry entered Oxford in Bloom for the first time this year

Best large commercial – the Red Lion

Landlady and landlord Diana and Stewart Berry entered their pub’s garden into the contest after being encouraged by customers.

It was the first year the couple, who run the Red Lion in Oxford Road, Marston, decided to try their luck at winning gold in the Large Commercial category.

They also scooped the First Time Entrant award.

Mrs Berry, 58, said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked, I couldn’t believe it. It feels amazing. Gardening is just a passion of mine.”

They spend an hour-and-a-half each day tending and watering their flowers and plan to enter again next year.

Mrs Berry added: “I have got to make it better for next year and I don’t know how I’m going to do that.”

• Chris Perks with one of the hanging baskets in his small garden

Best small garden

Chris Perks, from Wood Farm, is no stranger when it comes to the Oxford in Bloom contest, being a regular entrant.

This year he won gold after topping both the Best Kept Small Garden and the Most Beautiful Container categories.

The 62-year-old praised wife Angela, 59, and mother-in-law Sheila McGuinness, 87, for helping him with the awards.

He said: “I was very pleased, not just for myself but for my family as well because it was a joint effort.

“I go into the garden and I’m on a different planet. My wife says I stand there and watch the plants grow.”

The father-of-two spends on average three hours a day tending to his prized plot. Not only does his receive compliments from his friends and neighbours, but he said even tourists come to take pictures of his garden.

He added: “I enjoy entering every year. It’s nice because it’s appreciated by the neighbours and the people passing. It’s nice to share the garden.”

• Gerry Webb picked up two gold medals – for best large garden and gardening for disabled

Best large garden/ best disabled – Gerry Webb

Gerry Webb, from Greater Leys, was left severely disabled after an accident in 2004.
Limited by what he could do, he delved into gardening and began entering the Oxford in Bloom competition six years ago.

He has previously won both gold and silver awards and this year walked away with gold in the Best Kept Large Garden and Gardening for Disabled categories.

The 69-year-old said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked. It was a lot of hard work, but it was pleasurable work. It was fun work to do.”

Mr Webb said he spends about four hours a week tending his prized plot.

The father-of-two and grandfather-of-two said: “When I did end up in a wheelchair, my emotions were all over the place and you just give up on everything.

“So when you find something that you can get into, that’s the thing that keeps you going.

“And it’s for yourself and it’s not for other people.

“If I did not do this, there is very little else I could do.”

Mr Webb said future competition entrants should focus on the experience rather than the prize.

He added: “I would say to people, don’t do it for the competition, do it for yourself because if you do it for yourself, it works better.

“It’s therapy, it’s good fun and it gets a lot of people coming together.

“The Oxford in Bloom competition is inspiring to others that they are things you can do and when you win something for it, that is a big bonus.”

• Part of the garden at St Francis Court

Best community garden therapy award – St Francis court

THE tenants of St Francis Court, in Hollow Way, Cowley, rallied together to revamp their open space and take gold in the Community Garden Therapy Awards category.

Scheme manager Kim Griffin said: “We are delighted. They have all worked very hard.
“I think it gives them a sense of pride.

“It’s a collective thing on behalf of everybody. It’s not only the entrants that actually tend the garden, but obviously it benefits all the tenants to be able to go out and spend time out there.”

• Narinder Bhella, proprietor of Green Gables Guest House in Abingdon Road, pictured with one of his hanging baskets, fulfilled his ambition of winning his 10th award in Oxford in Bloom

Best small commercial – Green gables guest house

Best school eco project – E Oxford Primary

Pupils at East Oxford Primary School have been celebrating after winning gold for their school project.

Pupils across all years got involved with creating their Oxford in Bloom competition entry.

Outdoor learning officer Julie Norris said: “Everyone is really chuffed and thrilled. It was quite an exciting evening and everyone is buzzing.

“It’s a great sense of achievement because the children have put in a lot of hard work.

“It takes learning out of the classroom. Not all children are able to do their best just in the classroom. It gives the children the chance to use other things than just a pen.

“It’s more of a hands-on activity.”

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