OASIS IN HOYLAND: A garden in Hoyland that can only be described as truly amazing has won this years Barnsley’s best garden competition organised by the Chronicle and judge by the public, and the Mayor and Mayoress were on hand to make the award to the overwhelmed and proud owner Edit Simonics, a labour of love over four years has delivered this stunning garden in Hoyland. Picture Shaun Colborn PD094441
EDIT Simonics’ creativity, vision and hard work has ensured she is the rightful winner of Barnsley’s Best Garden 2025.
Her garden in Hoyland has been transformed in just four years.
From a bare patch of land an oasis of calm has been created.
It has not happened overnight with Edit explaining that the first two years were about laying the foundations for what followed.
Now she has a garden to admire.
And the voting public agreed as she came out on top on our online vote ahead of five other leading gardeners.
Earlier this week she was presented with the trophy by Mayor of Barnsley Coun Dave Leech and his wife Alison.
Edit said: “I was very surprised but I am very happy that I have won.
“My friend told me to enter the competition and I am glad that I did.
“The first two years were very difficult but it was never work for me – I enjoy it.
“I have gained lots of knowledge in that time and I like to share that with people.”
Edit, originally from Hungary, also works as a glass artist and photographer.
Her artistic flair is evident for all to see and the plants she has chosen for her garden take many forms.
They have come from all corners of the globe but fit together thanks to perfect placement.
It is also a chemical free-zone and Edit has a very relaxed attitude towards traditional garden pests.
She admits her garden has been an evolving project and that this year has been one of the most challenging due to the lack of rain.
She added: “Basically I wanted to do a tropical garden first but I fell in love with perennials and other plants.
“I started to copy some of the gardens with different rooms.
“My friends from Hungary have been very surprised that we have had only two rainfalls this year.
“It’s been terrible but because I learned how to mulch to keep the soil wet and healthy and planting so they can support one another with shade it’s helped a lot.”
Next year Edit plans to extend the garden pond.
Coun Leech said: “I think the public has been spot on with their voting.
“Edit’s garden is absolutely brilliant.
“I think some of the top gardens should go there and take some lessons from it.
“Her personality comes across in the garden.”
The Chronicle’s Ashley Ball said: “This year’s competition has been another close-run event but Edit’s garden came out on top and I can absolutely understand why.
“Her garden has the wow factor and it actually requires you to do several walks around it to fully appreciate all the work that has gone in and to fully take everything in.
“You can easily miss something by walking past too quickly.
“We have had another strong year of entrants and I’d like to thank all the runners-up for entering the competition this year.”
The runners-up were: Mick Grain (Elsecar), Andrew Dolman (Broomhill), Denis and Ann Waller (Birdwell), Mark Harrison (Monk Bretton) and Michael Carr (Penistone).
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