Words: Anne Akers
With the 100th Calverley Show just around the corner, village gardeners are being offered a £100 cash prize as part of a competition to create a garden trail for members of the public to visit.
The idea for the trail came after plans to repeat the hugely popular open gardens in 2019 had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
“We knew people wouldn’t be comfortable opening their gardens to the public, even though restrictions have been lifted, but we do all love to see beautiful gardens,” said Calverley Horticultural Society show secretary Bev Smith.
“During the lockdowns people have spent a lot more time working on their gardens, this year they look absolutely stunning. We thought it would be a good idea to create a garden walk for us all to enjoy,” she said.
All entries will be marked on a downloadable map for visitors to follow. They will be able to observe and enjoy gardens without going through the gate. The competition has attracted sponsorship from estate agents Manning Stainton, with £100 cash to the winner.
The theme of the competition is ‘staycation’, to be interpreted in any way gardeners wish. Entry is open to any private garden in Calverley, with businesses also encouraged to feature their gardens on the walk route, though they will not be eligible for prizes. All gardens should be visible from the pavement.
Entry is free, with a deadline of August 7, forms are available by emailing calverleyhorticulturalsociety@gmail.com or downloaded from the website. Entrants will need to have their gardens viewable for a week by August 14, with the winner will be announced at the show on August 21. Free maps will be available on social media.
HOw can I enter the garden competition, I won Leeds in Bloom Silver in 2017, and have been in Modern Gardens Magazine…….David Williams mentioned it at church on Sunday. 11 Salisbury Place …round the fron t (prIvate walkway)