Summer bloom winners announced

David Oldroyd, 34, has been crowned one of the winners of our Summer Bloom gardening competition beating off stiff opposition from more than 100 entrants.

Green-fingered David scooped first prize in the Best Vegetable Garden category for the second year running after wowing judges with his impressive vegetable patch at his home in Walsall Street, Charlestown.

David only took up gardening two years ago as a way to cope with the tragic death of his son Thomas Lee, who sadly died in 2011 aged just 20 months old.

David said: Thomas Lee was born with Down’s Syndrome and a hole in his heart and he suffered a stroke after his first birthday.

After he died I volunteered to look after the garden at the Ascension Church in Broughton. The gardening really saw me through some dark times- I was able to chill out in the garden and it really helped me cope.

David is now the chairman of the Grow in Brought’on community garden initiative and also volunteers at the Biospheric Project, which is an urban farm based on the banks of the River Irwell. Last year he also won the Green Star Award in the Salix Stars Awards, which honour those who are making a difference in their community.

David added: Before all this, all I used to do in the garden was cut the grass for my mum and dad so I’ve come a long way since then. I can’t imagine not gardening now.

David was one of several winners of this year’s Summer Bloom competition which we organise to recognise those green-fingered folk who are helping to keep our communities bright and beautiful.

Other winners included Devine Close in Broughton which won the Best Communal Garden and Ellen Hurst, from Ordsall, who won the Most Impressive Garden.

The competition was open to people living across Central Salford and each neighbourhood was judged separately for each category with a total of £1,500 worth of vouchers handed out to the winners.

Sue Sutton, our chief executive, said: Every year we are so impressed by the standard of entries and our judges always have a tough job picking the winners.
We were really moved by David’s story and it just goes to show how therapeutic and beneficial gardening can be to your wellbeing. It’s wonderful to see just how much pride people do take in their gardens and how determined they are to make their communities better places to live.

Congratulations to all of the winners and of course to everyone who entered. We are so proud of each and every one of our tenants who put so much time and effort into making sure our neighbourhoods looks bright and beautiful for the benefit of the whole community.

The full list of winners includes
Broughton, Greengate and Trinity
Best communal garden
1st: Arthur Eastwood and residents of Devine Close
2nd: Rialto Gardens – Allen Fiander, Valerie Webb, James Brown, Janet Lawson and Noel Downes
Best Hanging Baskets
1st: Eileen Fergusson & Joan White, Haydock Mews
1st: Valerie Webb, Rialto Gardens
2nd: Allen fiander, Rialto Gardens
Most Impressive Garden
1st: Pat Roscoe, Bennett Drive
2nd: Mary Mitchell, Axford Close
Best Small Garden and Raised Beds
1st: Neville Dutton, Sarnia Court
2nd: Bernard Harris, Rialto Gardens
Claremont, Weaste and Seedley, Duchy and Beechfarm
Best Hanging Baskets
1st: John Beamer, Langsett Ave
2nd: Mr & Mrs Backhouse, Sandray Grove
Most Impressive Garden
1st: Michelle Haddock and Sean Keeting, Tootal Drive
2nd: Marion West, Westray
Small Gardens and raised beds
1st: Joyce Covington, Burdale Drive
2nd: Pamela Cookson, Zyburn Court
Kersal and Charlestown
Best Hanging Basket
1st: Anne Matthews, Chapel Road
2nd: Kelly Farrar, Chapel Road
Most Impressive Garden
1st: James Wilcock, Bassett Ave
2nd: Rose Munday, Trentham Lawns
Small Gardens and Raised Beds
1st: George Harrison, Muirhead Court
Best Vegetable Garden
David Aldroyd, Walsall St
Ordsall and Langworthy
Best hanging basket
Joint 1st: Chris Holt, Arthur Millwood Court
Mrs Crowther, Springbank
2nd: Irene Bolton, Springbank
Most Impressive Garden
1st: Ellen Hurst, Paris Ave
2nd: Mike Atherfold, St Ignatius Walk
Best Communal Garden
1st: Anne Barker, Huddart
2nd: Sylvia Davies, King Edward St
Best Vegetable Garden
1st: Laura Kendall & Gail Skelley, Ordsall Community Arts, Neighbourhood Office
2nd: Royce Gambles & Alan Ward, Arthur Millwood Court