AN ANDOVER-based community garden group has won an RHS award for their newly established Poppy Garden.

Rooting for Andover only started work on the garden in Augusta Park on December, 31, last year, but the group has achieved a four out of five ‘thriving’ rating for their entry into the South East in Bloom (SEIB) It’s Your Neighbourhood awards.

Scoring highly in the community participation category, the judges commented on Rooting for Andover being inclusive and making a difference to local people. The RHS also considered that good plant choices had been made and that the area had been enhanced by gardening.

Within the judging results, the RHS stated: “The land was totally overgrown with dense brambles. After a great amount of work and hard labour, the land has not turned into a community garden with a perimeter wildflower meadow. The group are now seen by other groups wishing to create a community garden as a great source of information.”

READ MORE: Care home staff dress to impress during very special coffee morning

Rooting for Andover chairman, Michael Parker said: “The whole SEIB experience was a wonderful team-building effort with all the volunteers working very hard to get the garden ready for judging whilst at the same time getting to know each other and forming new friendships. 2023 will be even bigger and better and form even more friendships in the community.”

Rooting for Andover secretary Vicki Cunningham added: “It was wonderful to see the hard work undertaken by so many people result in such a fabulous accolade so soon.”

If you would like to know more about Rooting for Andover or the Poppy Community Garden, you can visit rootingforandover.co.uk, email them at info@rootingforandover.co.uk or look them up on Facebook (Rooting for Andover Community Garden) or Instagram.