Garden of the Year 2011In association with

THE call to tell Bruce and Maureen Heaththat they had won top prize in theExaminer of the Year competition

interrupted a family tea.They were flabbergasted, then delighted. “We are over themoon,” said Bruce, a semi-retired accountant.The couple received the Examiner Garden of the Yeartrophy, a £500 cash prize donated by the Examiner,Armitage’s Garden Centres’ vouchers worth £100 and agardening book from Waterstones.Family comes first for this modest couple, but theglorious garden they have created on a steeply sloping siteat Almondbury surely comes a close second.“We are in the garden every day and if it rains, I’m in thegreenhouse,” said Maureen.The Heaths downsized when they moved from Lindley totheir present home 10 years ago.Their daughter, Deborah and son, Michael had movedon, creating their own lives.Now all the family, including grandsons George, 14,Hamish, eight, and Monty, six, can enjoy this idyllicgarden with the boys already showing interest in being thefamily’s next generation of gardeners.“When we got engaged, we gardened up at Bruce’smum’s,” said Maureen. “We were saving up to getmarried.“I used to help my dad in his garden and Bruce helped hisgrandad.”Gardening is clearly in the genes of this talented couple.Their spectacular garden is not only beautiful, it is hugelyproductive.The third of an acre garden has been transformed by theHeaths who have cleverly used the tree-lined environmentto blend their garden with the wider landscape beyond.They are keen wine-makers and grow vines with greatsuccess. But Maureen also picked 10 pounds of cherries atthe weekend and there are figs, apples, raspberries,loganberries, tayberries, gooseberries, red currants,rhubarb and virtually every other kind of fruit you couldwish for.In the vegetable garden, the story is the same. It isimmaculate, healthy and highly productive.“I do the flowers and Bruce does the vegetables andbuilds all the structures,” said Maureen.“When a crop finishes, something else goes in its place.”That means everything from beans, dwarf, runner andbroad, peas, sweet corn, Jerusalem artichokes, horseradish, turnips, swede, leeks, salad crops includingbeetroot, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. There’s evengingko biloba. And that’s only what’s obvious at firstglance.Hens help keep down the slug population and water buttsand compost bins prove this garden’s environmentalcredentials.This healthy regime shines everywhere from the sweepinglavender border which wraps itself around the side of the

By VAL JAVINHead of Featuresval.javin@examiner.co.uk

■ GARDEN MAGIC: Maureen and Bruce Heath (left), of Almondbury, are pictured receiving their Garden of the Year 2011 trophyfrom the Examiner’s Val Javin with gardening writer Graham Porter and Will Armitage (right) of Armitage's GardenCentres AC180711Bgard-01.jpg

Winning team gives topgarden the wow factor

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ONE of the new gems discovered in this year’scompetition was a stunning hidden gardencreated by truck driver Stephen Knapton andhis wife, Anne.

The couple moved into their Grade 2 listedweavers’ cottage four years ago. It stands onthe roadside in Longwood and initially it isdifficult even to see a garden.

Pass through a narrow alleyway and a dooropens on to a secluded plot which has beenbeautifully designed and planted with a mix ofcottage garden favourites and morearchitectural specimens to give height andstructure.

“Stephen is really into recycling and isalways coming home with something to use asa container in the garden,” said Anne, who

works for Batleys Cash and Carry.A tin trunk stands in a corner filling the

seating area with the scent of lavender and setinto a wall, an old stone sink provides a perfectholder for a froth of cream-edged hostas.

The old outside toilet has been converted toa tool store and is about to get a “green roof”with sedums top of the likely plant list. And thenaturalistic pool is awash with water lilies andwild life.

In this idyllic setting with far-reaching viewsacross the Colne Valley, the couple havecreated a delightful garden brimming withstriking plants including ligularia, orientalpoppies, echinops ritro, giant knapweed,alliums, hemerocallis, deep blue Veronicasand the soft silver foliage of stachys lanata.

Garden of the YCategory 1: Small and container gardens

1st Diane GibsonPaddock

IT HAS been a tough year for DianeGibson, but her flower packed Paddockgarden has helped her through.

“I lost my mum earlier this year and itbroke my heart,” said Diane.

“We had to brick up the gap betweenher garden and mine. At first I didn’t wantto bother with the garden, but once I gotstuck in, all the old happy feelings kickedin and now it has got more flowers thanever.

“The garden has helped me throughwhat’s been a difficult time.

“I’d run out of floor space, when Istumbled on some planters that stack sonow I’m going upwards as well. Theystack up to seven feet high so I’ve got lotsof them all stuffed with Busy Lizzies,antirrhinums, marigolds,mesembryanthemums, lobelia,geraniums, pansies, petunias, in facteverything that’s colourful.”

“I’ve used railway sleepers, scaffoldingpoles, pallets, anything I could get myhands on to build new planters.”

Every wall is crammed with containersand hanging baskets spilling out colourfrom nemesia, mimulus, phlox, giantfuchsias, salvias and helichrysum.

And the whole garden, which sitsbehind a tiny terraced house, packs apowerful punch in terms of fragrance

thanks to towering sweet peas, freesia,French lavender and heady dianthus.

The garden buzzes with vitality andwith bees, hoverflies and butterflies.

“I saved a lot of seed last year andhave been able to grow all kinds ofthings,” said Diane.

“I’ve got some fruit and veg, mainlytomatoes, strawberries and radishes –though I don’t like radishes so I give thoseaway.”

She gives away a lot more than justplants and veg. Diane encourages andsupports all her neighbours who want toget their gardens looking good andthere’s certainly no missing this flowerfilled corner of Paddock.

“We have had quite a few comings andgoings with new neighbours in the street,but we’ve planted up a few pots for themand hope they will get interested and joinin.”

Diane works at the post office inPaddock where she dishes out gardeningadvice with a flower in her hair and asunny smile. Her son Jack, 18, has juststarted an apprenticeship and herdaughter Laura, 21, is working as adental nurse.

For Diane, what has kept her spirits upthrough tough times has been the gardenwhich shines with her warm personality.

■ DAZZLING DIANE: When she couldn’t fit more pots and containers in her small Paddock garden,Diane Gibson just packed the walls with colour and flowers JH140711Bgarden-02

Stephen and Anne KnaptonLongwood

Philip HirstWaterloo3rd

2nd■ HIDDEN GEM: Anne Knapton in the stunning garden which she and herhusband Stephen have created in Longwood Purchase: www.examiner.co.uk/buyaphoto

01484 430000 ext 7778JH140711Rgarden-02.

FOR Philip Hirst and his wife,Anne their waterside garden atWaterloo is a real haven.

“We’ve lived here for aboutnine years and we enjoy thegarden so much that we find itmore and more difficult to leaveit, even to go on holiday,” saidAnne.

“When we came here, Philiphad to clear some conifers andshrubs to let more light in,” saidAnne.

“I’d never really grown anythinguntil we came here,” said Philip.“Now I grow everything.”

Philip, an electrician, haspacked the garden with a diverserange of plants including manyclassic English gardenherbaceous plants.

Two types of sambucus, orelderberry, one with fine cutgolden leaves, the other withstriking purple foliage, providehighlights alongside a variegatedmaple and the towering spikes ofhollyhocks and ligularia.

The vivid blue of Veronicaspicata and the bright blooms ofdahlias, geums contrast with the moredelicate flowers of astrantia, Eupatoriummaculatum and the pretty violet blue ofthe harebell.

A vigorous clematis tangutica withnodding yellow bell shaped flowers andfluffy lime-coloured seed heads is one ofa number of climbers which take theflower power up the walls of thiswell-tended garden.

Philip grows tomatoes, peppers,

cucumbers and other summer vegetablesin his greenhouse as well as bringing onhis own dahlia plants and manyherbaceous perennials.

He makes his own compost, useswater from rain butts and does all he canto encourage wildlife. And it works.

“We have foxes, hedgehogs, all kindsof birds and the ducks come into thegarden from the beck which runs alongthe bottom,” he said.

■ IDYLLIC: The tranquil waterside garden createdby Philip Hirst at Waterloo Purchase:

www.examiner.co.uk/buyaphoto 01484 430000 ext 7778JH150711Bgarden-01

Mark WinterbottomDalton

ANDY Beattie’s beautifulKirkheaton gardencontinues to wow with itsconfident use of colourand meticulous attentionto detail.

Admire the latestextension to this alreadycomplex and layered garden andAndy admits, he’s been redesigning again.

“These glass panels came from asupermarket trolley bay which was beingrefitted,” he said.

“We spend so much time out here insummer that we decided to extend ourseating area and this shatter-proof glasswas ideal to provide some cover and toreflect the garden.”

And there is much to see. Notsurprisingly, Andy, his wife, Doreen andtheir family, spend many hours in thegarden and have hosted a garden party fora local social club this summer.

This highly creative former Post Officeworker has turned a long, narrow plot intoa seemingly endless series of views which

Garden of the Year 2011In association with

1st

2nd

3rd

■ DESIGNED TO DELIGHT: Andy Beattie’s Kirkheaton garden is brimming with colour,perfume and texture Purchase: www.examiner.co.uk/buyaphoto 01484 430000 ext 7778JH150711Cgarden-01

make it easy to linger.Ponds and carefully placed sitting areas

maximise the sounds, sights and smells inthe garden. There are hot borders andcontainers packed with dahlias, poppies,cosmos and alstromeria.

Bamboo and tall, variegated grassesprovide movement and sound and Andy’sfavourite lilies fill the air with dizzyinglypowerful perfume.

Feathery pink and white astilbes, flagirises, Japanese anemones and hostaswith their plumes of mauve flowers addheight and elegance around the pool area.And a giant gunera adds drama.

The sound of running water provides asoothing backdrop to pools where waterlilies thrive and damsel flies sparkle.

Andy BeattieKirkheaton

A JOB change means Andrew Lindley gets tospend more time at home in Paddock – butless time in his garden.

“I’m working from home as a creditcontroller and though I get to see the gardenmore, I don’t have as much time to work in itas I did when I was managing a pub, he said.

Andrew shares his period home and itsgarden with Paul Taylor, a talented costumeand dress designer and maker.

Together, their creative talents have turneda steep, sloping garden with stunning townviews, into a soft, flowing river of foliage andflower.

Terracing creates structure and carefulplanting has created a tranquil atmosphere.Andrew has used ferns and grasses to addmovement and water to encourage bird andinsect life.

Though there are drifts of planting in softpastel shades, there are also colour hot spotswhich add drama and energy.

The bright red of crocosmia Lucifer and thecerise of lychnis coronaria provide blasts of

colour while evening primrose, lilies andthyme all add to the fragrance in thistranquil garden.

AndrewLindleyPaddock

■ BOLD COLOUR: Andrew Lindley is notafraid to use colour hot spots in his relaxinggarden at Paddock JH140711Agarden-02

Category 2: Medium sized gardens

YOU don’t have to chose between an elegantgarden and a place which is ideal for a fatherand son kick-about.

Mark Winterbottom, who works as a qualitymanager in Bradford, manages to combineboth in the beautiful family garden atWaterloo.

He and his wife, Sarah can enjoy the stylishplanting while their son, Matthew, 11, who isdoing well with cricket team AlmondburyWesleyans is still able to get in some practice.

“It used to be football but now we play morecricket. Matthew’s a bowler and he’s doingreally well,” said Mark.

“We move the stumps every so many ballsso that the grass doesn’t get too worn.

“If you hit the back wall it’s a six. If you hitthe greenhouse, you’re out,” says Mark, whohas taken the precaution of redoing itswindows with toughened glass.

In the nine years that the family have livedin the house, which is on a steeply slopingsite backing on to woodland, Mark hasreplanted much of the garden.

He has created a strong structural feelunderplanted with hostas, ferns, his favouritegrasses and sedges and with alliums makingspectacular seed head exclamation marks inthe borders.

In spring, the garden comes alive withswathes of crocus, snowdrops, woodanemones, daffodils and fritillaries. And at this

time of year, tomatoes, peppers, beetroot,radish and other salad crops are growing well.

Mark’s passion for gardening is shared byhis dad, Rodney who lives nearby and isalways happy to swap cuttings and lendadvice.

The woodland setting and the garden’splanters, feeders and water featuresencourage birds, insects, bats, squirrels and afox to visit.

■ DUAL PURPOSE: Mark Winterbottom’sstylish Dalton garden JH150711Agarden-02.

Armitage’s Pennine Garden CentreShelley Tel: 01484 607248Armitage’s Birchencliffe Garden CentreBirchencliffe Tel: 01484 536010

enquiries@armitages.com www.armitages.com

Armitage’s Garden CentresProud Sponsors

“Congratulations to the winnersand participants of the 2011Examiner Garden of the Year.”

WHEN Dean and Karen Northop took on theirgarden in Holmfirth, they were up for a challenge.

And gardening at over 750 feet in the Penninehills on a steep, windy hillside is certainly that.

But together, Dean who is an industrial pipe fitterand Karen, a childminder, have created a realfamily garden.

The couple have a daughter, Rachael, 17, and ason, Gareth, 20, who is in the army. Karen’s mumis a keen gardener and has passed on hergreen-fingered skills.

The garden has stunning views across to HolmeMoss on one side and the wind farm on OgdenMoor on the other. It is not an easy place in whichto garden but this couple seem to have their

VICTORIA Berryman gardens in an idyllicspot set deep in a wooded valley nearSlaithwaite.

The home that she and her husband, John,have lived in for more than 30 years, is on thesite of the Colne Valley’s first water poweredmill.

Parts of their listed home date back to the16th century and the garden that Victoria hascreated feels as if it too has been there forcenturies.

Mrs Berryman retired last year from hercareer as a landscape architect and isenjoying spending more time in the gardenwhich is a skilled and intuitive extension to thesurrounding countryside.

The setting is certainly remarkable but sotoo is what this knowledgeable plantswomanhas done to bring house and landscapeseamlessly together.

Bounded by the river, the garden’s mature

Garden of the Year 2011In association with

Here’s whatthey wonHere are the prizes that thisyear’s winners received:

Overall winners Mr and MrsBruce Heath were presentedwith the cut-glass ExaminerGarden of the year trophywhich they get to keep for ayear.

The Heaths also received£500 from the Examiner. They,along with the winners of theother two categories, received£100 to spend at Armitage’sgarden centres.

The gardeners who tooksecond place in the threecategories, each receivedArmitage’s vouchers worth£75 and those placed thirdeach won vouchers worth£50.

Each of the nine winnersalso gets, a book, the RHSPlants for Places 2011courtesy of the competition’slong time sponsors,Waterstones.

environment tamed.Raised beds are bursting with vegetables

including parsnips, swede, onions, carrots, peas,runner beans, sprouts and salad crops. There arealso healthy looking crops of strawberries, applesand pears.

“When we came here the grass was three feethigh. The property had been empty for about 12months before we moved in,” said Karen.

“Dean builds all the structures including the treehouse, the decked areas, the pergolas and thepicnic table. I’m left with the planting!

“Ninety percent of what we have in the gardenwe have grown from seeds.”

trees have been used as a host for anexuberant rambling rose, Belvedere and as abackdrop for drifts of herbaceous perennialsin a soft colour palette.

The planting is diverse with specimendelphiniums vying for attention with astunning purple clematis, delicate violas anda stand of candelabra primulas.

There is a hazel tunnel which dances withlight and a yew hedge through which thespectacular red tropaeolum speciosum burstsinto flower living up to its flame thrower name.

An extensive vegetable garden includes anasparagus bed, soft fruit and everything frompotatoes and beans to mange tout,courgettes, onions, corn on the cob andchickory.

This is a garden on which to feast the eyesand to acknowledge a gardener with realdepth of understanding of the environment inwhich she works.

See a gallery of pictures of the Heaths’ winning gardenand all the other winners at: www.examiner.co.uk

■ SPECTACULAR SETTING: Karen Northrop in her hillside garden atHolmfirth Purchase: www.examiner.co.uk/buyaphoto 01484 430000 ext 7778PW150711Bgarden-04.jpg

■ SPECTACULAR SETTING: Victoria Berryman’s delightful garden makes the most of itsvery special setting in a deeply wooded Slaithwaite valley JH140711Pgarden-03.jpg

Category 3: Large gardens

1stBruce and MaureenHeath, Almondbury –Overall Winner

2nd Mrs Victoria BerrymanSlaithwaite

Dean and Karen NorthropHolmfirth3rd

■ WINNING FORMULA: Examiner Garden of the Year winners,Bruce and Maureen Heath in their Almondburygarden AC180711Bgard-04.jpg

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house to the showstopping garden whichlies beyond.There are spectacular delphiniums,verbascum, showy hostas, white wisteria,roses, penstemons and the heavy fragranceof lilies on the air.The diverse range of perennials is backedby choice specimen plants and the whole isunderplanted with drifts of spring bulbs.This is a garden for all moods and allseasons and who wouldn’t want to escapeto Maureen’s greenhouse on a rainy daywhere she lovingly tends an alpine bed asBruce heads for the veg in theneighbouring glasshouse.A garden to enjoy and in which to linger.That was certainly the view of William

Armitage from competition sponsorsArmitage’s Garden Centres.“You don’t just wander around the garden,you explore it. There’s somethinginteresting happening everywhere. It’sattractive, productive and very tranquil.”Graham Porter, the Examiner’s gardeningwriter and one of the competition judgessaid:”Despite the rigours of two extremelybad winters and the driest spring in livingmemory, the standard of this year’scompetition has been extremely high.”“It has been good to have so many newgardens entered in this year’s competitionand to see in gardens which we have seenbefore that the process of garden evolutionis alive and well as people have developedand progressed their gardens.

Find out the winners of our community garden competition in tomorrow’s Examiner