Expert Margaret Thrower judges Oswestry's floral offerings
One of Shropshire's best-known gardeners was out judging gardens large and small, balconies, pub hanging baskets and shop windows as part of an annual competition.
Margaret Thrower, daughter of the late Percy Thrower, teamed up with Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry in Bloom to judge the town's gardening event.
And she praised the number of people who work tirelessly to ensure that their own private gardens or businesses are looking their best.
Miss Thrower and Betty Gull, the chairman of Oswestry in Bloom, spent two days touring the town to find winners of a host of categories in the 2015 competition.
New for this year was the class for the best bijou garden.
"We were amazed at just what people can grow in a very small space," Miss Thrower said.
"There was one courtyard that had no less than 42 acers growing in it as well as other specimens."
Miss Gull said: "When we were in that courtyard, there were so many birds hopping and flying about and this was a garden very close to the town centre."
They admitted it was hard to judge some of the residential categories.
"There were gardens of all sizes, those with evergreen and those with year-round colour," Miss Thrower said.
She praised Oswestry's pubs for their floral decorations this year and said there were some that had not entered the competition that would have been worthy of doing so.
"Hopefully they will enter next year," she said.
The shops that entered the shop window decoration category were also pleased and there was a special mention for the Maesbury Metals business – the only entrant from Oswestry's industrial estate.
"The people who work there have created a wonderful garden from a scrap area of yard," Miss Gull said.
Miss Thrower said that as well as "wonderful" planters there were vegetables growing at the unit.
"They have produced courgettes and the best cabbages that I have seen this year."
Miss Gull said Oswestry was indebted to Miss Thrower for giving up her time.
