The Sanctuary team levelled the garden, repainted the dividing wall, laid weed control fabric and covered it with aggregate. The scheme was softened with two small groups of planting and some pots.

The teams completing the runner up gardens, one in Hackney and one in Harrow, both made significant improvements and the residents were delighted too.

Thanks to our contractors D & M P O’Connell who removed an obsolete dustbin store and weeds in the Harringay garden before the challenge began; and to Albany Construction, who donated an operative with a strimmer for a day before the challenge. He worked in the Hackney garden clearing the overgrown lawn area before the team embarked on their makeover and cleared another nominated garden in Hackney that was so overgrown the bottom of the garden could not be seen!

Sanctuary’s London office received many nominations for the garden makeover challenge following the launch of the competition in April, and had the difficult task of short-listing three from several worthy entries.

Sanctuary London director, Sharon Standell said “This is an excellent community initiative which has been a resounding success. Our staff have enjoyed the opportunity to make a real difference and enjoyed it so much that they have even suggested this become an annual event.

“Mrs Godden and the two runners up, now have fantastic gardens which they could only dream about before. We hope these gardens will bring them much joy as their new plants bloom and grow.”

9 August 2006