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Have you seen Trevor's glorious garden?
THIS year's entries in the Gazette's Glorious Gardens contest were blooming brilliant - but there could only be one winner.
In the end it was Trevor Bone, from Jarrow, who won over our judges with his eye-catching back garden.
The bravery he has shown to make his garden look beautiful is "frankly astonishing" – according to our three judges.
That's why he has been crowned this year's Gazette Glorious Gardens champion.
The judging panel – made up of Gazette editor John Szymanski, gardening expert George Dunn, and Kevin Wallace, the council's environmental maintenance manager – called it a "worthy winner as there is so much to see".
The 54-year-old has suffered a catalogue of injuries and conditions, including skin cancer, a bone disease in his ankle and a serious spine condition.
But that doesn't stop the cheery grandfather working on his garden in Windermere Crescent, Jarrow.
And as he has skin cancer, Mr Bone can only work on his plants while the sun is behind the clouds.
Mr Bone, who won a 300 shed, courtesy of Timberline, said: "I'm absolutely delighted to win, it really means a lot.
"I only started getting into gardening after my injuries. But winning this makes it all worth it.
"I used to spend six hours at a time fishing, but because of my problems, I find it a bit too strenuous, so gardening is my new hobby, but even that is limited because of the injuries I have."
He added: "I always try and fit in half an hour in the morning, before the sun comes out, and my grand-daughters also help me."
Mr Bone was nominated by his two grand-daughters – Erin, four, and Ella, three – and says he will donate his prize to them as a thank you.
His courage and dedication was praised by Mr Szymanski, who said: "Congratulations to Trevor, who has a superb garden which is a credit to him.
"The judges made their decision based on how the garden looked, but to hear of Trevor's health problems and how hard it is for him to maintain such a lovely garden, it's frankly astonishing.
"Congratulations to all our other finalists and to everyone who entered in what has been another extremely successful and popular perennial in the Gazette calendar."
Gardening expert George Dunn said: "This garden is a worthy winner as there is so much to see.
"The raised rock feature is the first thing that catches the eye. The low-growing sedums, dianthus and gentian combined with a range of colourful annuals certainly make it stand out.
"From here, there is well-maintained decking that has a lovely arbour. It's a great feature to sit with a cup of tea and watch the plants grow.
"The well-stocked containers of dahlias, hostas and a fantastic pierris overlook a beautiful well-maintained lawn."
The runner-up place goes to 78-year-old Ron Wardle, who takes home a 50 two-burner gas barbecue from B&Q.
Mr Wardle, from Hardie Drive, West Boldon, has worked for 40 years to transform his garden from a mess to a little haven.
Mr Dunn praised Mr Wardle's work, saying: "The focal point of this garden is the large pond and waterfall."The running water gives it such a relaxing feeling.
"Mature well-stocked borders are brimming with annuals, perennials and shrubs and are maintained to a very high standard.
"Behind the large glasshouses is a hidden garden with cottage-style effect comprising of dahlias, pinks, chrysanthemums and lavender to name but a few."
And third place goes to Roy James, from Sunderland Road, South Shields, who turned his back garden into a small oasis after retiring, and wins a 25 Asda voucher.
Speaking of the 71-year-old's garden, Mr Dunn said: "The weed-free well-manicured lawn can be viewed from an attractive wooden bridge that crosses over a large well-stocked pond.
"Fences are masked with fan trained pyracantha radiating berries of orange and red.
"Containers are filled with huge begonias showing off their large distinctive leaves and attractive red flowers.
"Recycling is part of this gardener's ethos as he collects all rainwater in barrels to reuse on the plants."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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