A COUPLE are celebrating after winning a gardening competition – despite not knowing they had been entered.

Brenda and David Yews have been lovingly tending their garden for 30 years, planting petunias and begonias, and growing vegetables.

But they never thought it was award-winning.

The couple were amazed when they were told they had won first place in the best rear garden category of a competition run by two Basildon housing associations.

Mrs Yews, 62, said: “Someone must have just seen our garden over the fence, taken photos and entered it. My husband and I were delighted to win. We love our garden and we enjoy sitting outside, among the flowers.

“Our six-year-old grandson, Kian, also loves playing in the garden.”

Mrs Yews, of Elizabeth Way, in the Five Links estate, Basildon, said her husband, David, 63, does most of the planting and maintenance, while she is in charge of watering.

Only residents from the Five Links and Churchview estates were eligible to enter the competition, which looks for the best rear garden, best front garden, best courtyard, and best hanging basket.

A total of 150 gardens from Five Links and 52 from Churchview entered.

But further entries were gathered by officers from Swan Housing, which runs Church-view, and St Georges Community Housing, which manages Five Links, during their monthly estate inspections.

Mo Larkin, chairman of Basildon Council, presented the awards to the winners at a special ceremony.

Prizes included a framed certificate, a £50 B&Q voucher, a bouquet of flowers, and a year’s free membership to Laindon Horti-cultural Society.

The other winners on the Five Links estate were: May Weeks, of Great Oxcroft Court, for best courtyard; Jenny Purcell, of Newberry Side, for best hanging basket; and Lisa Vrown, of Somercotes, for best front garden.

The winners from Churchview were: Richard Martin, of Chancel Close, for best front garden and best rear garden; and Beverley Cox, of Vestry Close, for best hanging basket.