Bringing Back the Bloom national winner announced

PRESS RELEASE

A green-fingered poet has scooped first prize in a national gardening competition.

Avid gardener Jenni Clifton, aged 68, of Horn Street, Cheriton, wowed judges at disability charity United Response with her poem Round My Garden and was pronounced the winner earlier this week.

The competition was launched by the charity last summer as part of its Bringing Back the Bloom appeal to raise money to transform five gardens around the country into disability-friendly spaces, including one in Cheriton, which is the main focus of the appeal.

Jenni’s poem – an uplifting ode to the joys of gardening – saw Jenni sail through the regional heats of the competition at the end of last year. An extract from Jenni’s poem reads: “Every day whatever the weather / I tend my piece of earth / And watch in awe as each season / Brings plants to new re-birth.”

Chelsea Flower Show 2011 silver-gilt medallist, Paul Hervey-Brookes, was on the judging panel and commended Mrs Clifton’s poem, likening it to the work of renowned author Clare Leighton. Other judges described the garden in her rhyme as ‘coming alive’ and ‘inspiring’.

Mrs Clifton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s shortly before retiring from her accounts job eight years ago, will receive £100 in gardening vouchers on top of the year’s membership to the Royal Horticultural Society she won in the regional heats. Her poem will also be incorporated into the Community Network garden that United Response is creating in Cheriton.

From poetry to photography, members of the public from across the region were inspired to send in their interpretation of the English summer garden in bloom.

Diane Lightfoot, Director of Communications and Fundraising at United Response, said:

“Both Jenni and her poem are inspirational – she is a very worthy winner! We thank everyone for their creative contributions and are delighted by the support that we have received for the campaign. It’s important to be positive in these difficult times and we are thrilled to be able to create gardens that are safe, usable and attractive spaces that can be enjoyed both by disabled people and the wider community.”

Work on the five gardens is already underway, however further funds are still needed to complete the project. To find out more about the appeal visit www.unitedresponse.org.uk/gardens.

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For more information, please contact Sarah Bartlett or Jaime Gill in the United Response Press Office on 020 8246 5237/ 020 8246 5122 or email sarah.bartlett@unitedresponse.org.uk or jaime.gill@unitedresponse.org.uk