Couple’s garden top of the plots (From Evesham Journal)

Couple’s garden top of the plots

5:00pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News

A GREEN-fingered couple from Evesham have shown they have what it takes to dig for victory.

John and Vicky Gallagher of Alder Grove, entered their garden in the Daily Mirror’s Top of the Plots competition and thought nothing more of it until they saw their names in print.

They have been working on the outdoor haven at their bungalow since September 2010, which was more than enough to impress celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin and the newspaper’s gardening jury.

Mrs Gallagher said: “It’s just the thrill of winning, we didn’t know until we opened the paper and there we were. We have never won a competition in our lives, so we were just so taken aback by it.”

The Gallaghers have worked hard to transform the space into a private paradise complete with a koi carp pond, summerhouse, seating area and a vegetable patch with a small greenhouse.

Mrs Gallagher added: “The garden was in need of a bit of TLC and we made it suit us because I have chronic arthritis, so it has raised beds and we turned it into two areas of garden.”

Mr Gavin praised the garden as being “pretty” and said it “explores the possibilities of so many gardening adventures and is a symbol both of a great achievement and something achievable by most of us”.

As well as the national recognition, the pair received a £50 voucher for Dobbies Garden Centres.