SOME of the borough's keenest gardeners have been rewarded for their hard work at the annual Brentwood in Bloom competition.
This year's competition, sponsored by the Gazette, celebrates and rewards the gardeners who have helped keep Brentwood blooming lovely.
Winners gathered at the town hall on Friday for the awards ceremony hosted Jane Bennett, of Bennett's Funerals, High Street, Brentwood.
Leading the field was Roger Freestone who took first prize for the best front garden category.
The 62-year-old mathematician has been tending his garden in Arnolds Avenue for three years.
But he can thank the multiple winner of Brentwood in Bloom, neighbour Bill Rolstone, who decided to step away from the competition last year after winning it for the tenth time.
Mr Freestone said: "My garden wasn't like this before. It was full of roses, because the guy who had it before me was mad for them.
"I'm not, so slowly I got rid of them. I started planting a few things here and there and then Bill gave me a few pointers.
"I do enjoy it, it just takes so much time."
Laura Keighley won best first time entry front garden with her compact but colourful balcony in Warley.
The 46-year-old, who has been gardening since she was a youngster, said: "A garden is a personal creation. It is unique.
"People might have the same plants, but they all have their unique place in different gardens.
"Getting this award is so good. I'm really pleased. My garden is just a balcony. And it's amazing what you can get on such a small area.
"From my living room it's like looking out onto another room."
Taking first prize for the allotment section was Len Bull who won the same award in 2010 and who gave a tongue in cheek tribute to his wife for his win.
"I've got a big shed which looks out onto the allotment," he told the massed audience at the town hall on Friday. "And in the winter it's lovely being in there with a nice cup of tea – watching my lovely wife and her sister digging the plot."
A group of residents at St Thomas Court sheltered accommodation picked up first prize in the best kept residential accommodation section for the first time.
Michael Saunders and his wife have been heading up a team of volunteers at the home, in Queens Road, since they arrived from Milton Keynes last year.
Michael said: "We said we did a bit of gardening and they gave us a bit from the main garden where we can do our thing. It's very enjoyable."
The best team effort went as a joint award to the Brentwood Sensory Garden Club and St George's Church
Led by Joy Dunn, the Sensory Garden Club, in King George's Playing Fields, off Ingrave Road, Brentwood, was set up in August 2010 and works with adults with learning difficulties.
Although delighted with her first prize, Joy's celebrations were muted after the garden suffered damage on Saturday.
A piece of fencing had been used to flatten and damage part of the raised border, and several of the sensory plants had been pulled up and shredded over the lawn, beer cans and bits of rubble had been left scattered around.
She said: "Nothing too awful, and now all tidied up, but a reminder that it is a bit of an ongoing problem for us."
Mr Rolstone, who was a main judge, said: "The standard in this year's competition was brilliant. Some entrants were placed with just a few points between them."
See the winners belowBest Maintained Allotment
1 Mr L Bull
2 Mrs A Bennett
3 Mr R Mead
Best First Time Entry Front Garden
1 Laura Keighley
2 Margaret Flood and Adrian Wager
Best Kept Front Garden
1 Roger Freestone
2 Mr N J Bull
Highly Commended Paula Laken
Highly Commended B M Barnett
Premier League Garden
1 (joint winners) Mr G Gridley and Bridget Coyne
3 Mrs M Lattimore
Best Kept Business Premises
1 Nick's Tyres
2 Best Friends Vets
3 Marygreen Manor
Best Kept Residential Accommodation
1 St Thomas Court
2 Rowan Green East
3 Juniper Court
Best Maintained Religious Grounds
1 Marillac Care
2 Hutton and Shenfield Union Church
3 St Georges Church
Highly Commended St Nicholas Church
Best Team Effort
1 (joint winners) St George's Church and Brentwood Sensory Garden
3 Brentwood Museum, Lorne Road
Environmental Award
1 Brentwood Countryside Management Volunteers
