The greenest fingers in East Ayrshire were recognised at an award ceremony recently, when the winners of the Council’s annual garden competition were presented with their trophies.

The annual competition, now in its 77th year, attracted hundreds of entries from throughout East Ayrshire and the Westfield Nursery Rose Bowl for the Best Overall Garden was presented to Stewart Lang of 5 Holmlea Place, Kilmarnock.

The task of judging the best overall garden fell to Sam Craig and Janet Steele from the East Ayrshire Tenants and Residents Federation, while the four areas – Cumnock and Doon Valley, Kilmarnock Central and South, North West Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley and Ballochmyle – were judged by specialists from the Council’s Outdoor Amenities section with the Housing Service’s Area Team Co-ordinators.

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council was on hand to present the trophies and congratulate the winners. He said: “I was really delighted to meet all the winners and present them with their prizes. They all work so hard in their gardens and their efforts make a very positive contribution to our communities.

“77 years ago when this competition began the concept of beautiful gardens centred around neat, tidy gardens with most gardens filled with vegetables, not the fabulous floral displays on show today.” Judge Sam Craig said: “It is really great to be involved in judging the Garden Competition and once again the gardens we visited were fantastic. So many people work really hard to grow beautiful flowers, shrubs, overflowing containers, hanging baskets and healthy vegetable plots. It really makes East Ayrshire bloom.” And the winners were: EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL GARDEN COMPETITION 2014 BEST COUNCIL GARDEN KILMARNOCK CENTRAL & SOUTH FEDERATION CUP Mrs Orr 33 Commonhead Road Kilmarnock RUNNER UP Mr Gill 8 Earn Place Kilmarnock BEST PRIVATE GARDEN KILMARNOCK CENTRAL & SOUTH GEMMELL’S NURSERY CUP Mr Lang 5 Holmlea Place Kilmarnock JOINT RUNNERS UP Mrs Murray 80 Grampian Road Kilmarnock Mr Greig 29 Lammermuir Road Kilmarnock BEST COUNCIL GARDEN NORTH WEST KILMARNOCK LAND ENGINEERING CUP Mr Spence 5 Raithburn Avenue Kilmarnock RUNNER UP Mr McIntosh 65 Altonhill Avenue Kilmarnock BEST PRIVATE GARDEN NORTH WEST KILMARNOCK ABIE PATON MEMORIAL CUP Ms Sim 16 Glen Ord Crescent Kilmarnock RUNNER UP Mr Smith 32 Rumford Place Kilmarnock BEST COUNCIL GARDEN IRVINE VALLEY & BALLOCHMYLE EASY AYRSHIRE CUP Mr Muir 10 Lomond Avenue Hurlford RUNNER UP Mr Graham 49 John Morton Crescent Darvel BEST PRIVATE GARDEN IRVINE VALLEY & BALLOCHMYLE DAILY RECORD CUP Mr Joss Invermay Main Street Sorn RUNNER UP Mr Mitchell 19 Maxwood Gardens Hurlford BEST COUNCIL GARDEN CUMNOCK & DOON VALLEY ISS WATERERS CUP Mrs Johnstone 1 Gemmell Ave Cumnock JOINT RUNNERS UP Mr Campbell 25 Watson Terrace Drongan Mr Kelly 19 Coyle Avenue Drongan BEST PRIVATE GARDEN CUMNOCK & DOON VALLEY CBC CUP Mrs Mitchell 87 Carnshalloch Avenue Patna RUNNER UP Mrs Rowan 24 Hannahston Ave Drongan BEST VEGETABLE GARDEN Mr Cox 34 Campsie Road Kilmarnock BEST HANGING BASKETS AND PLANTERS Mr Cassidy 127 Tourhill Road Kilmarnock SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Mr Sprott 1 Margaret Avenue Galston OVERALL WINNER EAST AYRSHIRE WESTFIELD NURSERY ROSE BOWL Mr Lang 5 Holmlea Place Kilmarnock