Glory goes to the green-fingered

A woman who has spent the past 30 years transforming her garden has been named the overall winner in Newark Town Council’s garden competition.

Mrs Jennifer Rawding (60) moved into her house on Windsor Road, Newark, in 1978. The garden was originally full of rubble.

Mrs Rawding, who also won the small garden category, has entered the competition five times in the last few years and has won a category each time.

Mrs Rawding, who works part time at the box office at the Palace Theatre, Newark, said she became interested in gardening in the past ten years.

“I have taken the last bit of grass out this year to make room for more plants,” she said.

“There is a lot of greenery so in the winter there is some colour.

“I like the acers and my tree ferns.”

The garden also features conifers, cordelines, lilies, alliums, agapanthus, hostas and a banana plant.

“You never know what the judges are looking for,” said Mrs Rawding.

“Mine is quite a full garden, but some people don’t like that.”

Mrs Rawding and her husband, Mr Tony Rawding (65) who helps with the gardening, plan to spend the £25 prize on maintaining the garden. The couple also received the Advertiser plate.

The Grange Hotel on London Road, Newark, won the large garden category and also received £25.

The hotel, which has a large Victorian-style garden at the rear, a patio area and a front garden, has been run for eight years by Mr and Mrs Tom Carr, who said the gardens were a popular attraction for guests and restaurant diners.

The rear garden, named The Secret Garden, has several seating areas, a cobbled path lit by Victorian-style lights and a fountain.

Trees include a horse chestnut, silver birch, sycamore and lilac and there are begonias, fuchsias, pelargoniums and acers in Victorian-style containers.

Mr Carr (56) said: “It’s very colourful.

“We entered the competition because of Newark In Bloom, which is trying to get more people interested in gardening.”

Mr Carr tends to the gardens himself but is also helped by a part-time gardener, Janet Welsh.

Mrs Sandra Carr (54) came second in the small garden section for their Japanese garden at their home on Charles Street, Newark.

It features a small gazebo, decking, a Japanese water feature, bamboo and oriental flowers.

Mr Carr said: “We wanted something a bit different from the hotel’s Victorian garden.”

Mr Ronald Warriner of Hawton Road, Newark, won the best-kept allotment award and the best Hawton Road allotment prize.

He has had his plot for 20 years and his son, Mr Sam Warriner, helps him to maintain it.

He grows a variety of fruit and vegetables, including purple sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, marrows, peaches, apples and pears.

Mr Warriner said: “My son and I work on it together and spend about two hours a day down there. It’s nice and peaceful.”

The other winners were Mr Malcolm Rusby of Stephen Road, Newark, for the best allotment on Fleming Drive; Mr Len Pegg of Gorse Road, Newark, for the best Bowbridge Road allotment and Mr Rupert Vinnicombe of Winchilsea Avenue, Newark, for the best Barnby Road allotment.

The overall allotment winner received £50 and category winners were given £25 each.

Mrs Glenys Brewitt of Howes Court, Newark, was awarded a special prize for the effort that she and her friends make with the garden areas around their homes.

The best school garden prize went to Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, Newark, which has developed a garden area in a section of the playing field.

The competition was judged by the Mayor and Mayoress of Newark, Mr and Mrs Harry Molyneux; Mr Rob Foster, and Newark Town Council’s environmental services manager Mr James Radley.