We’re delighted to announce the winners and runners-up of this year’s customer gardening competition.
There were four categories to enter; grow your own, neat & tidy, recycling & repurposing and most imaginative, and we received lots of great entries. Thank you to everyone who entered the customer gardening competition, look out for future competitions!
Sian Davies, Customer Experience Officer visited the winners and runners-up earlier his month to present their vouchers. Prizes were awarded in each of the categories - £50 for the winner and £25 for the runner-up.
Jenny loves bright colours all around her. She loves craft and currently working with resin and using felt.
Jenny explained that she has ongoing issues with her hands and at times limits her abilities however “I’ve never been one to give up, I push myself on. I love listening to music too, it helps me keep focus whilst I work on my craft projects but also helps put me in a good mood. We can all get down very easily and I’ve experienced this in the pass and won’t allow myself to go back there”.
She used to live in a flat with a shared communal garden. There she created a play sanctuary for her cat Darwin. Due to health requirements, she then acquired a bungalow with a garden and decided to expand on Darwin’s play area which also resulted in adopting another cat, Anula. Alongside this she has created memorable area for her beloved late father, where she can reflect. Her garden is her happy place.
Paul this year has grown French and runner beans, carrots, potatoes, chilli’s, garlic and tomatoes.
“My late father used to grow onions. I don’t know what his secret was but I just can’t master it.
My father in-law too. None of us sons have been able to get the knack of it. I’m going to try again next year”!
Paul shared his fondness for his neighbours “I live in a very close community, we look out for each other. There can be vulnerable people, we keep are eyes open. It’s how I was brought up. I love to share my home-grown crops with my neighbours, it’s the neighbourly thing to do. It’s what friendships are all about, being there and sharing.”
Rachel loves to repurpose. “I love to make beautiful things out of items which would normally be thrown away. I use old yarn for weaving and scraps of material too. Family is also important to me, I knit items for my daughters craft shop in Church Stretton. I buy new fibre or discounted yard to make my jumpers, hats and gloves for her shop. My projects were ideal during the lockdowns we experienced. I loved nothing more than listening to audio books in the garden whilst I knit”.
Chris was shocked at receiving the initial call to inform he was a winner commenting “ but others have a must better garden than me, my neighbours gardens are amazing, I know they didn’t enter but why me”?
Our judging panel of customers selected Chris’s garden as it appeared inviting, and homely, yet neat with everything in its place.
Chris explains “Having suffering a major stroke in 2018 I had to reassess what I was now capable of. I’m remain independent and being a keen gardener I use my NHS perching stool to enable me to sit and pot my plants and troths.
Having lived her for almost a year now, I’m surrounded by a tight knit community of which are not just my neighbours but are my friends. We take pride in our community and try to reflect this where we live. We take cuttings from each other’s plants too. I’m looking forward to working on my garden for next year. I’m now aware of where the sun comes in my garden and also note the season which will enable me to plan what to grow and where”.
We love hearing from you and what you are doing in your communities, it would be great to share these with others. You can send us your stories, community events, throwback photo and any other news which may be included in our newsletters, website or social media.
Message us on social media: @weareconnexus
Email us: Hello@connexus-group.co.uk
Send them to: Communications & Marketing Team, Connexus, The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms SY7 9BW
