Mayfield gardener wins contest for second time

A green-fingered tenant from Mayfield in Midlothian has won this year’s ‘Baxter Keiller Award’ for an outstanding Melville Housing Association garden.

Mrs Lynda Christison of Rowantree Road, who previously won the top award in 2017, was chosen by the judging panel, from entries covering the length and breadth of Midlothian, and was commended for her “lovely use of colour and the great deal of planning and work that clearly went into her fabulous garden”.

John McMorrow, Melville Chief Executive, said: “Congratulations to Lynda for her well-deserved award. Hers is a delightful garden that would bring joy to any street.
“There was a great deal of variety in this year’s competition, and I was very impressed by the quality of entries.

“The judging panel had a very difficult task narrowing it down to just three finalists, and I’d like to congratulate everyone who entered for all their hard work.”

For her winning garden, Mrs Christison received gardening vouchers to the value of £100. First runner-up Mrs Diane Wright of Woodburn Place picked up £35, with second runner-up Mrs Fiona Withers of Westhouses Road, Mayfield, receiving a £25 voucher.

Now in its seventh year, the ‘Baxter Keiller Award’ is named in honour of a keen Mayfield gardener and Melville tenant who sadly passed away in 2014. Melville set up a gardening competition to recognise the work done in 2007 by Baxter, along with his neighbour Christine McGrouther, transforming a patch of Mayfield wasteland into a fantastic community garden.