Gardening competition is blooming marvellous

Published by Neil Shaefer for Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association in Housing and also in Communities

It may have been a summer to forget for most people, but the mixture of sunshine and showers was a godsend for a Hartlepool woman who scooped first prize in a popular housing association competition.

Eleanor Nottingham beat off challenges from green-fingered people across the region to win the annual Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association (DAMHA) pot plant competition.

The 66-year-old, who lives in Ryehill Gardens, Hartlepool, spends an average of two hours each day tending her garden and her hard work has paid off with the £50 prize for first place.

She said: “I have come third in the competition twice so to find out I had won it this time was wonderful.

“The weather meant the flowers were late blooming this year, but I was pleased with how my garden looked and it is so nice to have it recognised in this way.”

The pot plant competition, which is open to residents living in the 1,700 homes owned and managed by the housing association across the North East - is always very competitive, and this year was no different.

The standard of entries this year was very high and judges had a hard job awarding the prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Second prize went to Barry Kyle of Adair Terrace, Chopwell and third prize went to Jeff and Carole Embleton of St Chad’s Square, Thornley.

DAMHA Chief Executive Paul Mullis said: “Despite the poor summer and in particular the amount of rain, it was amazing to see the effort that people had put in to ensure their gardens bloomed at the right time.

“The competition is important to us as it encourages our residents to take pride in where they live, and in Eleanor’s case it was obvious to see all the hard work she puts into her garden to make it look so wonderful.”