Thursday October 8th 2026
2026 Winning Garden
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A hard-working Easthouses couple have been rewarded for their green-fingered efforts after winning an annual garden competition.
Mr and Mrs Pow, who live on Lothian Drive, took the top prize in Melville Housing Association’s 2026 garden contest after their colourful garden caught the attention of a housing officer visiting tenants.
Despite having lived in their Melville home for more than 30 years, it was the first time the couple had entered the competition.
The housing officer encouraged them to put their garden forward for judging after spotting their efforts.
Their success was announced at Melville’s Annual General Meeting, where they were presented with gardening vouchers worth £100.
Melville chief executive John McMorrow congratulated the couple and praised tenants who put time and effort into improving their outdoor spaces.
He said: “Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Pow on their well-deserved win.
“It’s lovely to see the time and care tenants put into their gardens, helping to make their own homes and the wider neighbourhoods more attractive places to live.
“After a disappointing number of entries last year, we were particularly pleased to see a much better response to this year’s contest, including a number of first-time entrants.
“There are clearly plenty of green-fingered tenants out there, and we hope this year’s competition will encourage even more people to take part in 2027.”
The annual competition recognises Melville tenants who go the extra mile to create welcoming outdoor spaces, celebrating the work, creativity and pride that goes into maintaining their gardens.
This year’s runners-up were Diane Wright of Woodburn Place and Mr and Mrs Pake of McLean Place, Gorebridge, who each received a £50 gardening voucher.
Now in its 12th year, the competition is known as the Baxter Keiller Award, named after a keen Mayfield gardener and Melville tenant who died in 2014.
The award was established to recognise the work carried out by Baxter and his neighbour Christine McGrouther in 2007, when they transformed a patch of wasteland in Mayfield into a community garden.
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