Queen of the flowers

It may not quite rival the Chelsea Flower Show nor the Bloom Garden Festival in the Phoenix Park but the annual Manorfields front garden competition is fast becoming an extremely important event in the Castaheany estate’s calendar.

Now in its ninth year, the competition is judged by independent experts and is completely impartial. Judges are contacted by mobile phones alone, so they are completely unaware of the addresses of any committee members and every house in the estate is automatically entered for the prize.

In fact five prizes are awarded annually, with separate criteria for the small number of two-bedroomed properties in the estate. This year the overall winner was Margarite O’Neill, whose stunning array of blooms really caught the judge’s eye.

“This annual competition is going from strength to strength each year,” said Olive Kelly of the Manorfields Residents Association (MRA). “The competition was very stiff but Margarite had a really beautiful garden this year and was a worthy winner.”

MRA chairperson Alan Melbourne pointed out that the competition always gives a bit of a lift to the estate. “We send out notes to all the houses beforehand advising that the judging will be shortly taking place,” he said. “Its really great to see all the neighbours out, often at the same time, mowing lawns and weeding and enjoying a bit of craic, slagging each other off about backhanders and bribing the judges!

“And of course, apart from the social element, it does a lot to improve the visual appearance of the estate as a whole. The competition has really moved up a notch over the past few years and has rewarded some stunning gardens, all of which helps to keep the estate looking attractive,” he said.

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