Walled garden secures double award recognition

Lisa Brydon, Ann Scott, Bernie Ferguson and Jackie Grierson at the Wilton Lodge Park walled garden

A group leader from Hawick and her volunteers have brought home two of the country's leading gardening awards.

More than 2,200 entries from across the UK were received for the eight categories of the Green Flag Awards.

Wilton Lodge Park walled garden's 30-strong group of amateur gardeners beat off strong competition to win the Volunteer Team of the Year Category.

A short time later their co-ordinator, Lisa Brydon, was crowned Employee of the Year.

She said: "I am delighted with this. This reward is for everyone who has helped with the garden.

"It's a great project that involves everyone - you don't need to know anything about gardening to come along and get stuck in.

"Everything is organic in the garden where we work with nature and not against it."

The garden picked up two Green Flag awards

The historic walled garden at Wilton Lodge Park was transformed in 2015 from lawns and flower beds to become a horticultural training centre.

Ms Brydon and her team have helped create an organic community garden, producing fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs.

Bernie Ferguson is a community link worker who regularly attends the garden with her clients.

She said: "I support older adults to prevent them from being in isolation, and the people here at the gardens are very welcoming.

"Everyone is really encouraging and there's always something to do.

"I've lived in Hawick for 30 years and it is wonderful what has been done at the walled gardens."

Almost 3,000 parks and community gardens now have Green Flag status, which recognises good practice, access and management of spaces around the world.

The annual awards aim to reward hard work which takes place within areas which have been rewarded with a Green Flag.

The gardens became a horticultural training centre in 2015