GARDENERS from towns and villages across South Lakeland have celebrated winning Cumbria in Bloom awards for their communities.

The 26th year of the event honoured ambitious groups that have transformed their local area with cleaning projects and a floral flourish.

Dalton-in-Furness swept the board with more than three top awards.

The town won the GlaxoSmithKline Trophy for best town, the Rickerby Trophy for best overall town and urban community, and the Barrow-in-Furness Award for achievement in the borough.

The Dalton Tidy Town Group also won a top-level neighbourhood award from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Town Mayor Barry Doughty said: “We’ve done well and we are determined to keep on improving,” he said. “Work has been a combination of the town’s tidy group, St Mary’s Church, Dalton Town Council and Barrow Borough Council. We were congratulated on the cleanliness of the street.

“Standards have been set and we need to involve even more groups next year.”

In Grange-over-Sands, volunteers celebrated the work of a host of community organisations including Grange Civic Society, the Orchard Group, Grange Litter Picking Group, Grange Pond Group and Grange in Bloom.

The town won the South Lakeland Trophy for tourism in the borough and the Jennings Trophy for best small town.

Jan Tomlinson, secretary of Grange in Bloom, said: “It’s a nice place. People in our groups tend to be retired and they really want to make the place look better.

“Families appreciate it and there are always things for them to do here - it is still a great tourism destination.”

Extensive garden restoration work at Rydal Hall, at Rydal, saw the organisation scoop a Cumbria Tourism Rose Bowl for best visitor attraction.

General manager Jonathan Green said they were delighted with their five-year project, which has brought the hall’s gardens back to their original splendour.

And the Lakeside Hotel & Spa at Newby Bridge was awarded the Jackie Sanderson Trophy for ‘Hotel Garden of the Year’ by Cumbria in Bloom.

Managing director Neville Talbot said: “Over the past 20 years we have worked with a dedicated team of horticulturists and gardeners to totally re-landscape our gardens and plan out a theme that provides us with year-round colour and interest.

“We are delighted that this work has been recognised by such a prestigious institution as Cumbria in Bloom and will be displaying our cup with pride.”

Trophy winners:

Sheila Hensman Trophy, best school garden overall: Dane Ghyll Primary, Barrow-in-Furness.
Schools Jubilee/Olympics Trophy: Heron Hill, Kendal. Cumbria CC South Lakeland Area Committee Award: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary.
Cumberland News Trophy, tidy village (small): 1 Millthrop; 2 Baldwinholme. SLC Trophy, tidy village (large): 1 Cartmel; 2= Morland, Threlkeld.
County Chairman’s Rose Bowl for Industry, best industrial premises: 1 CG Pitstop Garage, Broughton-in-Furness; 2 Fallbarrow Caravan Park, Windermere. Lakeland Limited Trophy, best in commercial section: 1 Crown Inn & Fetherston Arms, Kirkoswald; 2 Thornleigh Hotel, Grange-over-Sands. Rose Lodge Rose Bowl, best residential home: 1 Chestnut Park Care Home, Keswick; 2 Nine Oaks & Thornton House, Windermere. Continental Landscapes Trophy, special category: 1 Morland Beck Restoration Project; 2 John Pickering, Threlkeld. Friends of the Lake District Trophy, best sustainable development: 1 Houghton; 2 Dalton-in-Furness. Doreen Parsons Young Persons Trophy, best project/effort by youngsters: 1 Beckstone Primary School, Workington; 2 Brownies Wildlife & Butterfly Garden, Broughton-in-Furness. Provincial Insurance Trophy, churchyards: 1 Carver ECO Church, Windermere; 2 St Mary’s Church, Dalton-in-Furness. Community Champion Award, outstanding contribution to CIB: Frank Todd & Bob Roberts, Barras House, Dalston. Jubilee/Olympics Award 2012: 1 Bothel; 2 Keswick.
Rose Bowl, self-catering establishments & visitor attractions: 1 Rydal Hall, Ambleside; 2 Bardsea Leisure Park, Ulverston. Chairman’s Trophy, bed & breakfast/guest house: 1 Far Nook, Ambleside; 2 The Old School Guest House, Newbiggin. Jackie Sanderson Trophy, hotel category: 1 Lakeside Hotel, Newby Bridge; 2 Trout Hotel, Cockermouth. Eden Trophy, most improved in year: Penrith. South Lakeland Trophy (1), best in borough: Windermere. South Lakeland Trophy (3), award for tourism in borough: Grange-over-Sands. Barrow-in-Furness Trophy, award for achievement in the borough: Dalton-in-Furness. Cumbria County Council Trophy, Carlisle Local Committee, award for achievement in the district: Barn Close Residential Home, Stanwix, Carlisle.
Holmes of Natland Nurseryman’s Trophy, best hamlet: 1 Newtown & White Flatt; 2 Millthrop. Windermere Lake Cruises Trophy, best small village: Pica. Strikes, Houghton Hall Trophy, best village: 1 Morland; 2= Cartmel, Kirkoswald. National Park Trophy, best large village: Dalston.
Innovia Films Trophy, best urban community: Stanwix, Carlisle. Jennings Trophy, best small town: 1 Grange-over-Sands; 2 Keswick. GlaxoSmithKline Trophy, best town: 1 Dalton-in-Furness; 2 Windermere. NMP Trophy, best large town: 1 Penrith; 2 Workington. Kimberly Clark Trophy, best village overall: Newtown & White Flatt. Rickerby Ltd Trophy, best overall town & urban community: Dalton-in-Furness.