York resident new to gardening wins county-wide competition
A woman from Elvington is one of the winners in a county-wide gardening competition despite never having had a garden before.
“Gardening has changed my life,” claims Mrs Houlden who got her first garden last year when she moved from Wheldrake into a one-bedroom bungalow at Jubilee Court in Elvington. Then the back garden was nothing more than a square area of grass, today there are trees, flower beds, a patio and even a fountain! To go along with her eye-catching garden, Mrs Houlden is now the proud recipient of the ‘Most Improved Garden’ award in the annual York Housing Association In Bloom Competition. She beat other gardeners, from Scarborough to Rothwell and Beverley to York, who took part in this year’s competition.
“When I first moved here and saw the size of the garden it was a bit daunting but I thought don’t let this beat you, just get on with it and with the help of my godson it’s all come together. I told him what I wanted, he said you must be joking this is what you can have, and together we made it happen. My next-door neighbour knows about plants and gardening and has been a big help too,” said Mrs Houlden.
Raised beds, including a stunning three-tier rose bed, are a key feature of the garden and the different levels add variety and interest to the overall look, while the manicured lawn is dotted with colourful displays of containers, pots and hanging basket tree stands. The raised beds have a practical function too, as a means to improve the quality of the soil and make it easier for Mrs Houlden to garden from her wheelchair.
“The transformation Mrs Houlden has made to her garden is amazing – especially when you consider it’s all happened from scratch in less than a year – and she’s a beginner! It’s obvious she’s put a lot of thought and effort into what to plant where; the combination of hanging baskets, raised beds, plants, trees, and seating areas, means there’s lots of variety and interesting little features that break up the large space. She really deserves her prize,” comments chief executive, Julia Histon.
The award was presented by YHA board member, Sue Walters Thompson, who was fortunate to visit all the prize-winning gardens. “It’s such a privilege to be able to see these beautiful gardens and meet the people who create them. I’m always inspired by these gardeners and what they manage to achieve whatever the weather! Not only do they get a lot of pleasure from their efforts but they give a lot of pleasure too – there’s nothing like the sight of a colourful mass of beautiful flowers to brighten up the day,” says Sue.
Having been bitten by the gardening bug Mrs Houlden is already planning her next project: “I’m new to gardening but now I can’t get enough of it! Maybe I’ll have a go at the front of the house next. There’s a weeping cherry tree but nothing else – so watch this space!”
Other York winners in the 2015 annual York Housing Association In Bloom Competition are Mr Wannell, of Holgate Road, who took the award for ‘Best Low Budget’ garden and Mrs Whitehead of Faber Street, who won the ‘Best Low Maintenance’ category.
For more details, or to see some of the photographs of the winning gardens, please visit www.yorkha.org.uk
ENDS
Links to photographs can be found below, with many more images of YHA In Bloom 2015 winners available from http://news.cision.com/york-housing-association
For further media information or photographs, please contact:
Jay Commins or Samantha Orange
Pyper York Limited
Tel: 01904 500698
Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk
