AN Unsworth woman who transformed a neglected garden into a colourful and eye-catching oasis has been rewarded for her labour of love.

Pensioner Mrs Alice Marsh, of Sykes Avenue, won the coveted "Gardens Award" section and the major honour in the "Bury in Bloom" competition.

"When my husband John and I moved in four years ago, the garden was pretty neglected," she said. "An older woman had lived here.

"In the back garden, there was nothing but weeds and the grass itself was three feet high,"she said.

Today, the garden is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and cultivation.

The lawn is lush and neatly trimmed and an ornamental pool sits alongside an outdoor bouquet of perennials and a colourful assortment of flowers.

Added Mrs Marsh: "I do this for the enjoyment. I spend some part of every day in the garden in all weathers.

"It gives a lot of joy to a lot of people. Everyone says they love passing by our garden because there's always something different to look at.

"We're a corner house and right across from us is a bus stop. When I stand there and look at the garden, I must admit it looks nice."

Commenting on her win Mrs Marsh, pictured in her award-winning garden, continued: "It was a surprise - I could hardly believe it.

"My son-in-law put my name forward. I said the garden wasn't good enough, but he said it was. But I'm still very surprised."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.