A MALVERN gardener is feeling blooming great after she finished best of the bunch in a national competition organised by a popular gardening publication.
Gerda Trant claimed first prize in Kitchen Garden’s ‘The Passionate Plotter – Best Patio Container’ for her impressive array of homegrown herbs and vegetables in her back garden at her bungalow in St Bernard Drive.
The Passionate Plotter consists of two categories, the first for the best vegetable plot and best vegetables grown in pots and containers.
The 73-year-old gardening enthusiast walked away with a brand new Bosch pressure washer after her cucumbers, potatoes, lettuces, tomatoes, peppers and much more were chosen as the best grown vegetables in containers across the country.
Mrs Trant told the Observer she had ‘forgotten’ about the competition she entered until the moment she received the letter from Kitchen Garden to say she had been victorious.
She said: “I bought the magazine when I was going down to my caravan and after seeing last year’s winner I thought to myself, ‘wow, that’s a lot of space they have had to grow things’.
“I then saw there was a new competition for growing in pots and containers and it was at that point I felt like giving it a go.
“I totally forgot about the competition until I received my letter and prize for winning.
“My husband Simon does not like gardening that much but I love to grow my own herbs and vegetables for recipes and when I found out I had won I was screaming with joy.
“I’m absolutely over the moon.”
With just an eight by five metre garden at her disposal, Mrs Trant said she was keen to show off what can be grown in such a small space.
She added: “I have always been a keen gardener and it shows that no matter how small your garden is, you can grow plenty of your own produce.
“I strongly believe in growing my own produce, I don’t use any artificial sprays, I just let things grow naturally.
“I’m not a big fan of slugs and snails though.
“Whenever I knock them off the vegetables at night time it gives me the creeps.”
