Housing tenants across Kirklees showed off their green fingers.

And their efforts in an annual gardens competition earned fulsome praise from housing chiefs, as they brightened up the area’s estates.

A couple from Cleckheaton took the top prize in Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing’s annual gardening competition.

Now in its eighth year, the competition attracted dozens of entries from every part of Kirklees.

The high standards meant the judges had a really difficult time picking the winners, and despite the battering winds and rain of the mid-summer, there were so many outstanding entries that some of the categories were split between north and south Kirklees.

The overall winners were Peter and Eleanor Horsfield. Their garden is a colourful array of different flowers, fruit and vegetables. The impressive variety and the obvious effort the couple put into their garden captured the judges’ attention as soon as they stepped through the gate.

Peter said: “We’re thrilled to have won not just our category but the overall prize in the competition.

Garden winners Peter & Eleanor Horsfield (centre) with Stephen Dyson (left) from Bradley Nurseries & Andrew George from Barclays Bank
Garden winners Peter & Eleanor Horsfield (centre) with Stephen Dyson (left) from Bradley Nurseries & Andrew George from Barclays Bank

“We spend a lot of time on the garden – I do the digging and cutting while Eleanor is the creative gardener – and it’s wonderful to get recognition for our efforts.”

The couple received £100 in gardening vouchers, donated by Barclays Bank.

The other category winners were:

• Best individual garden (south) – Bridie Larkin, Almondbury

• Best use of communal space (north) - Kings Court residents, Cleckheaton

• Best use of communal space (south) - Ian Berry, Dalton

• Best use of small space (north) – Brian Goodger & Ian Thompson, Batley Carr

• Best use of small space (south) – Mark Donaldson, Netherton

• Most helpful gardening neighbour – Rod McInnes, Longwood

Clr Cathy Scott, cabinet member for housing, said: “I’d like to thank all those who took part in the competition and congratulate the winners. Their gardens bring pleasure to their neighbours and help make sure their estates are attractive places to live.”

Paul Buckley, KNH’s director of operations said: “Many of our tenants work very hard in their gardens and their efforts deserve to be recognised. This competition is our chance to thank them for their work.

“Gardening is a great way of keeping fit and active and offers opportunities to make lasting friendships, so we’d also like to encourage more people to start taking an interest in it. We hope to see whole streets enter next year!”