Broxtowe's top gardeners crowned in 'Best Allotment' competition
The best allotment gardeners from across the borough have been celebrated in this year’s council competition.
Broxtowe’s Best Allotment celebrates those who’ve worked hard to achieve great things on their patch, highlighting their dedication and commitment.
The competition was judged by Coun Barbara Carr (Brox All), Mayor of Broxtowe and Coun Tyler Marsh (Brox All), portfolio holder for environment and climate change.
They assessed the entries on factors including:
- Area cultivated
- Variety and quality of crops
- Good husbandry
- Biodiversity
- Sustainability
- Good housekeeping
- Recreational use
The turnout was excellent, with the standard across all plots incredibly high making the final decision a difficult task.
After much consideration from the judges, first place was awarded to Sam Arumugum, who has transformed his plot over two years.
His clever adaptations to avoid site flooding and his innovative approach to growing vegetables were considered very inspiring.
Second place went to John Fisher, a veteran gardener who has tended to his allotment for more than 50 years and whose skill and passion were very much on display when the judges visited.
Finally, the Mayor’s Award for best newcomer went to Erin Bradley.
Having started her plot only a few months ago, she has done a remarkable job in transforming an overgrown space into something spectacular in a short space of time.
The judges said she proves that if you put in the hard work at the beginning, the rest will follow.
Coun Marsh said: Managing an allotment takes time, effort, and energy – especially in a year with exceptionally warm weather.
“Seeing first hand the work and passion people pour into their allotments was very impressive and frequently reminded me what an honour it is to judge this competition.
"Allotments are an important part of many communities and can help create pride in the local area as well as environmental benefits like promoting biodiversity, and it’s great to recognise that.”
Coun Carr added: “All the many entries were incredibly impressive, and the skill, dedication, and passion shown to create such wonderful spaces filled with great produce was obvious throughout.
"It was hard to pick a winner, thank you to all the people that took part.”