Tenants of South Somerset Homes awarded for
their beautiful gardens (Yeovil and surrounding villages)
16 October 2006

South Somerset Homes recently awarded their tenants for keeping such beautiful colourful gardens. This is an annual event, which is open to all tenants of South Somerset Homes.

This year’s competition attracted over 100 entries in the following categories:

Best Front Garden, Best Back Garden, Best Container Garden / Hanging Basket Garden, Best Theme / Feature Garden, Best Vegetable Garden, Best Road / Sheltered Scheme Garden and Children’s Chance and Colouring Competition.

Pictured here are the winners, from left to right on the back row is Mike Shorter (Photographer – who took photos of the winning gardens), Garry Seymour (Resident,Peter Sparks (Housing & Legal Services Manager, SSH), Rich Davy (Horticultural Manager, SSDC), David Mansfield (Director of Housing, SSH), Elsa Burton (Chairman Area South Residents Partnership, SSH), Irene Chant (Resident, Winner of Best Front & Vegetable Garden), Janet Stone ( Board Member and Vice Chair of Area South Residents Partnership, SSH), Ken Asher (Resident of Windermere sheltered scheme who picked up the prize for Best Scheme on behalf of Windermere Close). From left to right on the front row is Winifred Attwell (Resident, 2 nd Prize Winner of Best Front Garden), Yvonne Cooper (Resident, 3 rd Prize Winner of Best Container Garden), Shirley Pitcher (Resident, Winner of Best Container Garden), Jeannie Seymour (Resident, Winner of Best Theme Garden), Janet Gifford England (Resident who picked up 2 nd Prize for Best Scheme on behalf of Southview sheltered scheme in Barwick), Sophie Cousins (Daughter or Resident, Winner of Children's Chance), Eileen Fuller (Resident, 3 rd Prize Winner of Best Back Garden), Phyllis Woolmington (Resident, 3 rd Prize Winner of Best Front Garden), Helen Rendell (Resident, Winner of Best Feature Garden)

Rich Davy, Street Scene Coordinator at South Somerset District Council, was one of the judges and commented, “Due to the hot weather we experienced this summer it did make it more difficult for many of the residents to keep their plants alive, especially the hanging baskets, however I thought that all the gardens were marvellous, and it was quite incredible how much dedication and hard work had been put into them.”

A presentation ceremony for all the entrants and prize winners took place recently at the South Somerset Homes headquarters at Alvington in Yeovil.

The winners were as follows:

Best Front Garden
1st Irene Chant, Yeovil
2nd Winifred Attwell, Yeovil
3rd Phyllis Woolmington, West Coker

Best Back Garden
1st Patricia Cunningham, Yeovil
2nd Wilfred Davison, West Coker
3rd Eileen Fuller, Yeovil

Best Container Garden
1st Shirley Pitcher, Yeovil
2nd Leslie & Ruth Elliott, Barwick
3rd Yvonne Cooper, Yeovil

Best Theme Garden
1st Garry & Jeannie Seymour, East Coker
2nd Amanda Dowdell, Yeovil

Best Feature Garden
1st Helen Rendell, Yeovil

Best Vegetable Garden
1st Irene Chant, Yeovil

Best Scheme
1st Windermere Close, Yeovil
2nd Neighbourhood Watch, Southview, Barwick

Children’s Chance
1st Sophie Cousins, Yeovil
2nd Master R Browning, Yeovil

Peter Sparks, Housing & Legal Services Manager at South Somerset Homes said, “Many of our tenants take great pride in their gardens and these awards aim to give them some recognition for their hard work in keeping their gardens so beautiful.”

Pictured here is Rich Davy (Horticultural Manager, SSDC) with Sophie Cousins (Daughter of Resident) who won the Children's Chance category. Pictured in the background is Janet Stone (Board Member and Vice Chair of Area South Residents Partnership, SSH)