Derwen College was proud to partner with Shropshire Town and Rural (STAR) Housing to celebrate some of the county’s best kept social housing gardens.

The annual STAR Housing Garden Competition saw green-fingered tenants, from the Bridgnorth and Oswestry areas, awarded in four categories: Best Garden, Best Communal Garden, Best Container, and Best Wonderfully Wild Garden. Winners received a gardening voucher from STAR Housing. They were also gifted a beautiful rose donated by renowned local growers David Austin Roses for which Derwen College Garden Centre is proud to be a distributor.

Derwen College, in Gobowen, is a specialist further education college where students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) learn skills to support them into adulthood. The College has its own Marketplace of shopping and eating venues where students learn work skills, including the Garden Centre and Gift Shop.

STAR Housing is an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) set up by Shropshire Council to manage its social housing across the county. From repairs and tenancy support to neighbourhood engagement, STAR Housing works to create safe, welcoming communities. The annual Garden Competition is one of the ways STAR Housing celebrates tenant creativity and the positive impact of outdoor spaces on wellbeing and community spirit.

Gardens judging took place over two days with judges including Derwen College Horticulture experts Nursery and Production Manager Paul Moss and Garden Centre Supervisor Will Lyon. They visited a wide range of imaginative and vibrant gardens created as spaces with wellbeing, community and wildlife in mind.

Derwen College Commercial Development Manager Pete Evans joined STAR Housing’s Customer Engagement Manager Emma Jones and Operations Director James Wood to present winners with their prizes.

First-place winners were also invited to STAR Housing’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October to receive their 1st place certificates and share their stories. Wendy Dowley and Maggie Ward-Ellis, winners from Weston Rhyn, gave a heartfelt speech about how gardening has positively impacted their wellbeing and strengthened their friendship. They spoke about the joy of spending time outdoors, the therapeutic value of tending to their gardens, and how their shared passion has brought them closer together as neighbours and friends.

Operations Director James Wood said: “We were so inspired by the stories behind the gardens – from sensory planting to upcycled materials, beautiful blooms, fruit and vegetables and plenty of wildlife, every entry brought something special.

“Our entries highlighted a real sense of community, and the value of an outdoor space for wellbeing.”

Customer Engagement Manager Emma Jones said: “The Garden Competition is one of our favourite ways to connect with tenants and celebrate the care they put into their homes and communities. It’s always inspiring to see how gardening brings people together and transforms shared spaces.”

Derwen College’s Pete Evans said: “Derwen College was honoured to be asked to help judge the STAR Housing Garden Competition again. We’ve worked with STAR Housing on previous community projects and are always delighted to recognise individuals and communities who put care and creativity into their outdoor spaces. It was particularly lovely to see how gardening brings people together – transforming shared areas and making neighbourhoods more vibrant and welcoming.”

2025 WINNERS were:

  • Best Garden: Wendy Dowley, Weston Rhyn
  • Best Communal Garden: Unicorn Road, Oswestry
  • Best Container Garden: Maggie Ward-Ellis, Weston Rhyn
  • Wonderfully Wild Garden: Pippa Pope, Bridgnorth

Highlights from the Winning Gardens:

  • Pippa Pope’s Wonderfully Wild Garden in Bridgnorth is full of stories, including many roses attached to life events and people, alongside mementoes from holidays and special occasions. She has chickens, quails, a wildlife pond with frogs and newts, and a shallow bird bath, as well as a ladder for hedgehogs. Pippa, who is visually impaired, enjoys a sensory space designed by her husband, filled with fragrant herbs and whispering grasses.
  • Unicorn Road’s Communal Garden in Oswestry has become a place for neighbours to gather, chat, and enjoy the sunshine. The once-plain area is now filled with pots, flowers, and edible plants – many grown from seed or donated by locals. Residents have repurposed everyday items into planters and received support from the community, including lighting and seating provided by STAR Housing to create a welcoming area for barbecues and for families to enjoy the outdoors.
  • Wendy Dowley’s Best Garden has been transformed into a Mediterranean haven in just 18 months at her home. Judges praised her use of space, her healthy, well-kept plants, and focus on wildlife.
  • Maggie Ward-Ellis’s stunning selection of pots create a sea of colour. She has built a rockery with donated stone and gravel and created a beautiful spot which made judges feel they’d been transported to an Italian terrace.

Wendy Dowley and Maggie Ward-Ellis from Weston Rhyn have turned their homes into colourful havens, spending hours each day creating stunning gardens using repurposed materials and home-grown blooms. The two neighbours have become close friends through their shared love of gardening, swapping tips and enjoying the gardens together. They’re even planning a holiday together.

“Gardening brings me so much joy. It’s like therapy,” said Wendy. “There’s always something to do and a reason to get outside.”