Garden Of The Year 2011: Best allotment

Garden Of The Year 2011 is run by the Bedfordshire Times & Citizen and Biggleswade Chronicle with Frosts at Willington and is sponsored by Bedford In Bloom.

Mr Jones, 55, who lives in Church Lane, Bedford, has transformed his standard ten-pole-plot into a Garden Of Eden which produces a whopping 39 varieties of vegetables.

Click on the right to view a selection of pictures taken by Tracey Goodacre.

Mr Jones said: “It really would be easier to say which vegetables I don’t grow at the allotment.

“I like to grow things that are unusual and try new things. When my family found out that I was the winner they were really proud, my daughter was over the moon.”

Every year Mr Jones challenges himself to grow something he has never tried before.

He said: “Next year I am going to grow a ying yang, which is a black and white bean, a red epicure, which is a broad bean and because I have a green house here I am going to try growing a meloine, which is a stripped cucumber.”

And the other plot tenders, at the allotment in Barkers Lane, were also thrilled that someone on site had won the award.

He said: “Everyone at the allotment was very pleased for me.

“Hopefully this will encourage more of them to enter the competition next year.”

The runners-up in this category were Mr P Swales of Cleat Hill, Ravensden, and Mr & Mrs D McDonald of Station Road, Langford.