Garden of the Year winner revealed

After a long search through the summer the winner of this year's East Anglian Daily Times/Radio Suffolk Garden of the Year competition was revealed live on air yesterday.

The judges, Radio Suffolk's Rachel Sloane and East Anglian Daily Times gardening writer Karen Kenny, had the tricky task of choosing winners from three categories, new garden, mature garden and best container, plus the overall winner. "It was extremely difficult," said Karen. "There were some brilliant gardens – and really all the finallists were winners in their own right."

The nervous gardeners gathered at Radio Suffolk's Ipswich studios for the awards, which were broadcast live during Rachel's afternoon programme.

The overall winners were Alison and Frank Pinn, from Old Newton near Stowmarket, who won the Roy Lacey Rose Bowl for their imaginative family garden. "I just can't believe it," said Alison. "I just didn't expect to win our section, never mind the whole thing!"

Their pride and joy, which also won the new garden award, is divided into four areas including a vegetable plot, a seating area and summerhouse, and an area for young sons Max and Philip to play in, was praised by the judges for being a 'well-designed family garden with good planting.'

Ian and Valerie Sadler, from Worlington, near Mildenhall, won the best container award, and Caroline Barley, from Lowestoft, won the mature garden award. All the winners received vouchers to spend at Roots & Shoots, of Badley, near Stowmarket, who sponsored the competition.

Caption: WINNERS ALL: Garden of the Year finallists (from left) Caroline Barley and her husband, Ian and Valerie Sadler and Alison and Frank Pinn with their son Philip.