Kendal Pride winners

But in the most contested category of the campaign, which aims to fill the town with colour, Valerie Mellor, of High Fellside, triumphed with her eye-catching haven of plants.

" That was the first time I had entered, and I didn't really know what I was up against," said best front garden winner Mrs Mellor.

"I just went with an open mind as I really wanted to enter the spirit of it."

Asked about the secret of her success, she said: "I just love plants really and try to keep colour in the garden throughout the year.

I don't necessarily go for flowers, but I like foliage with contrasting colours."

Previous winners Mandy Nicholson, of Barn Holme, and Peter Taylor, of Hallgarth Circle, came joint second in the best front garden section with Mr and Mrs Saunders of Garth Brow, Hallgarth, taking third place.

"The top three or four best front gardens were absolutely outstanding - world class in my view," said Coun Birkett.

Town centre manager Maria Appleton, one of the organisers, said standards had been very high, with Mr Taylor and the Saunders making a real difference to their corner of Hallgarth.

"If you drive there, it is quite stunning.

When one person takes pride in their garden others do as well - it has a knock-on effect," she said.

In Kendal Pride's newest category, Mandy Nicholson captured the fruits of her gardening labour so well on camera, she won top prize in the photographic competition.

Her winning entry was displayed at the competition's awards ceremony at the Shakespeare Centre, where Don and Joan Breeze, of Lingmoor Rise, were runners-up.

More than 70 entrants attended the ceremony, where the mayor presented the awards and thanked supporters, including main sponsor Amber Building Management, The Westmorland Gazette, Holmes of Natland, Westmorland Horticultural Society, and Boots in Kendal.

"We can't exist without the enthusiasm of the Kendal Pride committee or our sponsors because without the cash it can' t take off," Mr Birkett told the Gazette.

He said this year's campaign had gone well, with entry numbers remaining 'steady'.

However, he hoped to see more front garden entries next year, as there were only 19 contenders despite the town's many estates.

He described the hanging baskets and commercial entries as'stunning', and said the five schools' entries were of a 'high standard' - the result of 'a lot of thought and effort'.