Tony and June celebrate hat-trick of wins in garden competition

When it comes to gardening, green-fingered Mansfield couple Tony and June Harvey certainly know how to sow the seeds of success.
June and Tony Harvey in their award-winning garden.June and Tony Harvey in their award-winning garden.
June and Tony Harvey in their award-winning garden.

For they have completed a hat-trick of wins in Mansfield District Council’s best-kept garden competition.

Tony and June scooped the top prize of a gold award and £100 for the third year in a row for the garden at their home on the Grange Farm Estate.

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They wowed the judges with their colourful floral displays, topiary and environmentally-friendly approach to gardening as a whole.

The couple’s garden was described as “absolutely fantastic” when all the winners were announced at the Mansfield BID Garden Festival on Market Place.

The judges added: “The planting throughout was a pleasure to see. From the topiary at the front to the plants as you walk through the tropically planted car port into the back garden.

“Every nook and cranny was planted, creating interest throughout the garden. It was truly excellent.”

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The competition is held every year to encourage people in the district to care for their gardens and to help make Mansfield a greener and more pleasant place to live.

Coun Andrew Tristram, portfolio holder for the environment and wellbeing, said: “Well done to all those who took part. There were some impressive entries which gave the judges a difficult job.

“But we had two very worthy winners in Tony and June, who have shown their dedication for three years in a row now.”

The silver award for the runner-up went to Jean Goodall for her garden in Mansfield Woodhouse. The judges described it as “an array of colour, with an impressive water feature and pond”.

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They added: “Climbing plants complemented the excellent hanging-baskets and planters, all grown by Jean.”

Third place went to Deb Haslam, of Church Warsop, whose garden was labelled by the judges as “a superb effort in her first year of entering the competition”.

They added: “Full credit to her for her hard work keeping the garden clean, tidy and interesting. A combination of shrubs, perennials and annuals were planted throughout and were colourful and healthy.”

Silver awards were also presented to John Ager, for his balcony garden, and to Corinna Brown, for her cottage garden-style plot.

Bronze awards were won by two more first-time entrants, Maxine Chapman and Zoe Haslam.