Green fingered Fifers keep the Kingdom beautiful

The hard work and dedication that local residents put into their own gardens were celebrated at the Beautiful Fife Gardens ceremony.

Depute Provost, Cllr Kay Morrison presented the awards, and the overall category winners were:

Flower (Formal) – Anita & Michael Adams, Freuchie;Flower (Landscaped) – Alexander Boyek,Auchtermuchty; Mixed (Flower/Vegetable/Container) – Donald Ellis,Springfield; Vegetable –Jim Thomson, Dalgety Bay; Hanging Basket/Container – Stuart Welch, Ceres.

Local communities also gathered at an awards ceremony to be honoured in the Beautiful Fife Towns celebration.

The communities were judged earlier this summer and were assessed on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community involvement.

The overall category winners for 2016 are:

Wee Village – Kilconquhar; Small Village – Coaltown of Wemyss; Large Village – Ceres; Coastal Village – Kinghorn; Coastal Town – St Andrews; Small Town – Inverkeithing; Medium Town – Cupar and Large Town – Kirkcaldy

Keith Jackson, Parks & Community events officer, said: “Fife boasts many talented gardeners and, as ever, the standard from entrants this year was very high.

“Congratulations to all the winners for their enthusiasm, imagination and skill!

“The efforts of the volunteers across Fife’s communities are also astounding and those that live, work and visit cannot fail to be impressed.

“The attractive flowers, containers and baskets are the visible side of this work but the towns and villages are also assessed on their environmental responsibility and their community involvement.”

Fife communities will find out what they achieved at the Beautiful Scotland Awards later this week.

The winners are:

Results by area

Beautiful Fife Gardens awards:

Flower (Formal)

Area 2 Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Hill of Beath & Crossgates: Silver – Ann Somerville, Cowdenbeath; Area 4 Dunfermline Area: Silver Gilt – James O’Rourke, Dunfermline; Area 5 West Fife Villages & Kincardine: Silver Gilt – Phil McIntyre, Kincardine; Area 7 Markinch, Star, Leslie, Coaltown of Balgonie, Milton of Balgonie & Thornton: Silver Gilt – William Scott, Markinch; Area 9 Kirkcaldy: Silver Gilt – George Mathieson, Kirkcaldy; Area 10 Levenmouth Area: Bronze – Alexander Fraser, Methil; Area 12 Taybridge Area: Silver – Steven Bremner, Tayport; Area 13 Howe of Fife: Gold – Anita & Michael Adams, Freuchie; Area 14 St Andrews Area: Silver Gilt – Sheila Mathers, St Andrews.

Flower (Landscaped)

Area 1 Ballingry, Lochore, Crosshill, Glencraig, Lochgelly & Lumphinnans: Gold – Thomas Murphy, Lochgelly; Area 2 Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Hill of Beath & Crossgates: Silver Gilt – Donald Meiklem, Kelty; Area 3 Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Inverkeithing, Hillend & North Queensferry: Silver – Moira Marshall, Inverkeithing; Area 4 Dunfermline Area: Silver Gilt – Eddy Thomson, Dunfermline; Area 6 Burntisland, Kinghorn, Auchtertool, Kinglassie & Cardenden: Silver Gilt – Sylvia MacKenzie, Burntisland (sisters accepting award); Area 7 Markinch, Star, Leslie, Coaltown of Balgonie, Milton of Balgonie & Thornton: Silver Gilt – Joe Murphy, Thornton; Area 8 Glenrothes: Gold – Robert & Janette Moffat, Glenrothes; Area 11 Cupar Area: Silver Gilt – Pamela Arnold, Cupar; Area 12 Newport Area: Silver Gilt – Iris Jarrett, Newport on Tay; Area 13 Howe of Fife: Gold Alexander Boyek, Auchtermuchty; Area 14 St Andrews Area: Gold – Bob Herd, Balmullo.

Mixed (Flower/Vegetable/Container)

Area 3 Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Inverkeithing, Hillend & North Queensferry: Silver Gilt – Margaret Pearson, Dalgety Bay; Area 4 Dunfermline Area:

Silver Gilt – Elaine Macleod, Dunfermline; Area 7 Markinch, Star, Leslie, Coaltown of Balgonie, Milton of Balgonie & Thornton: Silver – Allan Kierszten, Thornton; Area 9 Kirkcaldy: Silver – Carolyn McGuire, Kirkcaldy: Area 10 Levenmouth Area: Silver – Peter Newlands, Methil; Area 11 Cupar Area: Silver Gilt – Donald Ellis, Springfield; Area 14 St Andrews Area: Silver Gilt – Ron Moscrop, Leuchars.

Vegetable

Area 2 Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Hill of Beath & Crossgates: Bronze – Kelty Haven, Kelty Allotments – Peter Sinclair & David Johnston, on behalf of West Fife Outreach Team Occupational Therapy; Area 3 – Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Inverkeithing, Hillend & North Queensferry: Gold – Jim Thomson, Dalgety Bay; Area 4 Dunfermline Area: Silver – Robert Todd, Townhill Allotments, Dunfermline; Area 7 Markinch, Star, Leslie, Coaltown of Balgonie, Milton of Balgonie & Thornton: Silver Gilt – Jackie & Kenneth Wilson, Balbirnie Allotments, Markinch; Area 8 Glenrothes: Silver Gilt – Derek & Margaret Wareing, Altyre Allotments, Glenrothes; Area 9 Kirkcaldy: Gold – John Law, Boreland Allotments, Kirkcaldy; Area 10 Levenmouth Area: Silver Gilt – Graham Webster, Baintown; Area 14 St Andrews Area: Silver Gilt – William Loudon, Guardbridge.

Hanging Basket/Container

Area 2 Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Hill of Beath & Crossgates: Gold – George Henderson, Kelty; Area 3 Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Inverkeithing, Hillend & North Queensferry: Silver Gilt – John Kane, Inverkeithing; Area 4 Dunfermline Area: Silver Gilt – Helen Cunningham, Dunfermline; Area 5 West Fife Villages & Kincardine: Silver Gilt – Conner Kleister, Kincardine Area 6 Burntisland, Kinghorn, Auchtertool, Kinglassie & Cardenden: Silver – Caralyn Paylor, Burntisland; Area 7 Markinch, Star, Leslie, Coaltown of Balgonie, Milton of Balgonie & Thornton: Gold – Ralph Barclay, Thornton; Area 8 Glenrothes:

Silver – Isabel Bett, Glenrothes; Silver Gilt – Robert Steel, Kirkcaldy; Area 11 Cupar Area: Gold – Stuart Welch, Ceres; Area 13 Howe of Fife: Silver Gilt – Cecilia Sutherland, Giffordtown; Area 14 St Andrews Area: Silver Gilt – Pat Anthony, St Andrews; Area 15 East Neuk: Silver Gilt – John Low, Anstruther.

Beautiful Fife awards

Aberdour – Gold; Anstruther & Cellardyke – Gold; Auchtermuchty – Silver; Balmullo – Silver Gilt; Benarty – Silver; Buckhaven – Silver Gilt; Burntisland – Gold; Cairneyhill – Gold; Cardenden – Silver; Carnock – Silver; Ceres – Gold; Charlestown – Silver Gilt; Coaltown of Wemyss – Gold; Colinsburgh – Gold; Cowdenbeath – Silver; Crail – Silver Gilt; Crombie – Bronze; Crossgates – Gold; Cupar – Gold; Dalgety Bay – Silver Gilt; Dunfermline – Silver Gilt; Dunshalt – Silver Gilt; East Wemyss – Gold; Elie & Earlsferry – Silver Gilt; Freuchie – Gold; Gauldry – Silver Gilt; Glenrothes – Gold; Halbeath – Bronze; Hillend – Bronze; Inverkeithing – Silver Gilt; Kelty – Silver; Kennoway – Silver; Kilconquhar – Gold; Kincardine – Silver; Kinghorn – Gold; Kingsbarns – Silver; Kingseat – Gold; Kirkcaldy – Gold; Leslie – Silver Gilt; Leuchars – Silver; Leven – Silver; Limekilns – Silver Gilt; Lochgelly – Bronze; Low Valleyfield – Gold; Milton of Balgonie – Silver; New Gilston – Silver Gilt; Newburgh – Silver; Newport on Tay – Silver Gilt; Pitlessie – Silver; Pittenweem – Silver Gilt; St Andrews – Gold; Star – Bronze; Strathkinness – Gold; Tayport – Silver Gilt; Thornton – Silver; Townhill – Gold; Wellwood – Silver; West Wemyss – Silver; Woodside – Bronze; Wormit – Silver Gilt.

Discretionary Awards:

Horticultural Achievement: Strathkinness – Allotments; Environmental Responsibility: St Andrews – West Sands Dunes Project; Community Involvement:

Low Valleyfield; Best New Entry: Carnock; Judges Award: Dunshalt – Continued Improvement Lochgelly –Recycled Planters; Project Award: Burntisland – “Plot to Plate” Project; Special Merit: Tayport – Community Garden.