Don’t fork out for a plot to be proud of
TV PRESENTER Alex Jones encouraged the public to enter the My Chelsea Garden competition run by The One Show and the Royal Horticultural Society whether they had a window box, a few tubs on a balcony or a more traditional outside space. She said she couldn’t wait to hear about how growing and planting has helped people get through this extraordinary time. I am a keen gardener and so decided to enter. I was somewhat disappointed when I saw the winners. Yes, they are marvellous gardens and I congratulate them all on their hard work. But the front and back winning gardens were so big they could have accommodated some entrants’ entire houses. A large garden enables a much wider range of plants and, therefore, colours and textures. One impressive plot was created from a blank canvas several years ago and involved a lot of hard work. But this wasn’t the remit for the competition as I understood it. You can achieve an impressive garden if you have the money to spend on its design and planting, plus maintenance. I feel that the majority of keen amateur gardeners couldn’t possibly have competed with this. It would have been fairer to split the competition into small and large plots, as well as balcony and indoor gardens, sharing the prizes between more winners. If this competition is repeated, it would be fairer to have categories such as window boxes and small patches. If you want to encourage the public to get involved in gardening, then be fair and consider that not everyone has the money for a major transformation or the space for a big garden, though they can impress on a small scale. I’m proud of what I have achieved in my own modest garden: I have done it all myself, even though I’m over 70 and self-isolating.
ANNE BELL, Manchester.