Wybourn’s champion gardener goes for the hat-trick

It may have been 12 long years until 77-year-old Dennis Morgan was able to defend his title as having the best garden on Sheffield’s Wybourn Estate but having retained his title last year – he’s determined to hang onto it.

 

Mr Morgan, who has lived in his house on Cricket Inn Crescent for almost half a century, won the best garden competition for the estate in 1993 - the last time the competition was staged by Sheffield City Council.

 

Sheffield Homes, which now manages council housing in Sheffield, resurrected the competition in three neighbourhoods last year and Mr Morgan proved he had not lost any of his green-fingered touch by scooping first prize for the estate again.

 

He’s now working flat-out to ensure his garden is ready for judging later next month.

 

“It’s great that the competition has been brought back and looks set to stay,” said Dennis.  “I have lived in this house for nearly 50 years now. Anything I put in the garden seems to grow.

 

“As I get older it does get harder so I am changing it a bit so I don’t have to do quite as much. In fact this year I adapted an old Hoover to pick up grass – it worked a treat!”

 

Mr Morgan has lived in Wybourn since he was just five-years-old and his love for gardening has blossomed to the point where he can be spotted tending his garden for up to four days a week.

 

The front and back gardens are packed with a variety of flowers, bushes, trees and vegetables including conifers, roses, hydrangeas, onions and beetroots.

 

Paul Walton, Area Manager for Sheffield Homes, said: “We wanted to make sure that those who go to the effort of creating lovely and tidy gardens in the community are recognised and Mr Morgan’s marvellous efforts are a shining example to others.

 

“We’re enjoying a steady stream of entries and look set to have another great event.”

 

Sheffield Homes joined forces with Tenant and Residents Associations (TARAs) in the Manor/Castle, Woodthorpe and Richmond areas to hold the competition.

 

The winners will receive an engraved plate from Sheffield Homes along with a garden centre gift voucher donated by the local TARAs.