Pretty in pink (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Pretty in pink

AWARD-winning gardener Mary Lindsey has scooped just about every prize going when it comes to her bountiful blooms.

Green-fingered Mary with one of her trophies outside her front garden (18903/09)

Mrs Lindsey has lovingly tended her garden in Esmead, Chippenham for 30 years, but says she decided to take it more seriously about 15 years ago.

Although her garden is by no means huge, she makes the most of the space she's got with hanging baskets, window boxes and urns.

"It's at its best in the summer, when it really is awash with colour," said Mrs Lindsey, who lives with her husband Graham.

"People stop to admire it and it gives me great encouragement."

So far in her gardening career, the most breathtaking year for Mrs Lindsey was 2004 the year in which she won five different awards.

The Chippenham in Bloom veteran picked up not one, but two awards in the competition best overall winner and first prize in the last year's winner award category.

Her garden was also named the best in North and West Wiltshire in the BBC Points West garden awards, and she won a champagne trip to Hampton Court for reaching the final 12 in a Daily Mail competition.

She also won the top award in the small garden category of the BBC Points West Real Garden contest, too.

Prizes included lunch with Tommy Walsh, who stars in the hit BBC show Ground Force, at the National Garden Show in Shepton Mallett, a tree from Westonbirt Arboretum a trophy and many certificates.

"I just love my garden," she said, with infectious enthusiasm. "I find it therapeutic and it's lovely having something to work towards.

"I've always been interested in gardening, and everything I do is self taught.

"It's fantastic to see it looking so colourful."

Just starting to blossom are the pansies, daffodils and polyanthas.

But in a couple of months, the garden will come into its own with bizzy lizzies, pagonias, marigolds and geraniums as far as the eye can see.

Anyone looking out of the back door will be greeted by a riot of hues from every shade of pinks and reds to yellows and blues.

Mrs Lindsey spends a couple of hours a day in the garden and says the secrets of her success are cramming everything in and her irrigation system.

"When I'm planting I make sure there's a pattern to the colours," explained Mrs Lindsey. "Things like the geraniums really lift up the whole garden.

"Last year I had 50 baskets. It can cost a small fortune, but I do it bit by bit.

"It's only a little plot in the middle of Chippenham but it looks amazing. I'm just so happy out there."