GREEN-fingered residents have been praised at an annual awards ceremony.
More than 150 residents entered the Chester and District Housing Trust’s (CDHT’s) fourth annual garden competition with first, second and third prizes awarded to winners in each of CDHT’s six neighbourhoods.
The overall winners were Eddie and Rae Rimmer, of Willow Grove, Hoole, who received a Scandinavian rose-bowl glass trophy to be kept for a year, which was donated by CDHT contractor Seddon, as well as £100.
Best Young Gardener was won by Lydia Jackson, aged seven, who won for the second year running.
Lydia, of Stamford Road, Blacon, won the special Nora Coote Award for Best Young Gardener, in memory of Nora who was an active CDHT resident who presented the Best Young Gardener Award last year but has since died. It is hoped that the Garden Competition Awards will become known as The Nora’s, after The Oscars.
The All Time Achievement Award went to Kath Evans and Sharon Stokes for the eco-garden on Bridgeman Road, Blacon.
Speaking at the event, John Denny, chief executive of CDHT, who compered the awards, said: “There have been some really superb efforts in this year’s garden competition. It’s great to see the enthusiasm and pride that residents have for their gardens. You can’t run an organisation unless residents are at the centre of making decisions and the ownership that residents have taken over their garden competition is magnificent to see.”