Press Releases

June 04 2008

Could YOU win best garden title?

But the couple from Eastern Bypass in Clayton have decided not to go for a fourth title because they are both 81 and have not been able to keep their garden up to its usual high standard this year.

Now the search is on for someone else to claim the Best Garden title and five others up for grabs in east Manchester’s Gardening Competition.

The competition is open to all amateur gardeners from Beswick, Openshaw and Clayton.  It is run jointly by Eastlands Homes and New East Manchester.

In addition to Best Garden, there are also categories for:

• BestEnvironmentally-Friendly Garden
• Best Allotment
• Best New Entry, open to residents who have never entered the competition before, and
• Best Use of Space, aimed at individuals or groups who use innovative ideas to maximum effect.

Winners of those categories will each receive a £25 garden centre voucher and runners-up a £10 voucher.

There is also a category for School’s Best Use of Space, which allows schools to demonstrate how they make use of what space they have available.  The winning school gets a cheque for £50 and there’s £25 for the runner-up.

Sean McGonigle, Director of Regeneration for New East Manchester, said: “The areas many enthusiastic gardeners help brighten up the environment for us all so it’s good to reward their efforts through this competition.

“There are lots of different categories to recognise the wide range of ways in which gardeners bring life and colour into east Manchester.”

Entry forms are available from New East Manchester, 187 Grey Mare Lane, Beswick, or by calling Jacqueline Salmon on 0161 223 1155. Alternatively, they can be collected from Eastlands Homes, Victoria Street, Openshaw, and community centres across east Manchester.

All entries must be accompanied by photographs and returned to Gardening Competition, FREEPOST, New East Manchester, by Monday 30 June.

Judging for the competition will take place on 3 and 4 July and the awards ceremony will be on 13 July during the Seeds of the East event being held in Philips Park.

Prizes will be presented by Bill Blackledge, chair of the Royal Horticultural Society in the North West, who will also give gardening tips and hints in a Question Time session.

Seeds of the East – a new east Manchester garden festival –will be part of east Manchester’s Super Sunday, a unique collection of events for all the family in the natural beauty of the Medlock Valley. Super Sunday will allow you to compete in the UK’s first Urbanathlon, to Party in the Park and to try out for the East Factor, east Manchester’s very own talent show.