RESIDENTS who take pride in their gardens have been honoured.

A number of people living in council homes across Kirklees have scooped awards in an annual competition.

And judges were delighted with the high standard of many of the entries.

The overall prize in the competition went to Rita King and her neighbours at Conway Crescent in Batley Carr.

Their community garden has been recognised every year since the competition began and continued to amaze the judges as a wonderful example of community gardening.

Gardening expert and Huddersfield Examiner columnist Graham Porter, who headed the judging panel, said: “This year’s competition has once again showed that individual, family and communal effort can make people’s surroundings both beautiful and useful.”

The awards were made by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing.

Heather Hargreaves, from Kirkburton, was awarded the top prize in the best garden category. According to the judges, she has a magic touch when it comes to her garden.

Gladys Schofield won the award for best use of communal space for the work she does at Pottery Street, Salendine Nook.

Despite being in her 90s, Gladys has gradually developed several beautiful mixed borders for all the residents to enjoy – her real pleasure comes from planting and caring for it.

She will be spending her prize money on a new seat for the garden.

Catherine Thompson and Michael Foley, both from Longfield Avenue in Dalton, were joint winners in the best fruit and vegetable category.

A spokesman for the judges said: “The pair have created one of the most productive vegetable gardens we have seen and all from a piece of local authority grassed landscape in only two years.

“The range of produce is extensive and there is now a productive compost heap.”

The award for best use of small space went to Krystyna Hasnick, of Springwood.

She has filled her small garden with plants and intends to buy even more.

The gardening club at Sycamore Grange, Golcar, won the award for best retirement living grange garden.

Mike and Pat Brewster have developed the garden, with the help of a number of residents over recent years from a typical piece of communal landscaping into a stunning garden for all the residents to enjoy.

It has developed further since they won the 2010 overall winner’s prize.