VOLUNTEER gardeners based at Lion Salt Works are celebrating after achieving success in the North West in Bloom awards.

The green-fingered gardeners maintain the Butterfly Garden and Cheshire Buddleia Collection which is based at the Marston museum.

At the awards, which were held in Southport, the group was entered in the ‘Your Neighbourhood’ category as part of Northwich’s overall entry.

And the tireless work by volunteers was praised by competition judges who awarded the garden ‘Level Four’ status and described it as ‘thriving’.

Going forward, the Salt Works gardeners are aiming for the top Level Five award by taking on-board judges’ comments and making the necessary additions.

Garden volunteer Jill was on hand to receive the award, and said: “We cannot wait to get stuck in for next year and go that extra mile to try and secure the top marks we need.”

Northwich Guardian:

The thriving Butterfly Garden at Lion Salt Works

Free to the public, the Butterfly Garden and Buddleia Collection is located within the grounds of the award-winning Lion Salt Works museum and has been created to promote planting ideas to attract butterflies, moths and other pollinating insects into gardens.

The recognition given to the garden makes it a great month for Northwich after the town secured the Silver Gilt in both the Best Large Town and Business Improvement District (BID) categories.

Kingsmead Primary School also bagged the Environmental Award for Schools.

Commenting on the awards success for the town, Northwich BID Manager Jane Hough remarked: “It is great to see Northwich doing so well across the board in these awards.

“It is testament to all of the different organisations and volunteers who have worked so hard over the past few months.

“Alongside our partners, we will continue to strive towards the Gold award for Northwich next year and we have already started planning for 2020.”