Peter, 6, wins bloom contest (From Barry And District News)

Peter, 6, wins bloom contest

A GREEN-FINGERED Barry boy has become the youngest winner of a major local competition.

Peter Kinman is only six-years-old, but he scooped first prize in the under 16's category of Barry in Bloom.

The Lowden Terrace resident has been planning the design of his garden since last year and did all the work himself.

But he has an excellent role model in dad John. He won Barry in Bloom in 1998 and then went on to take the Best Garden in Britain.

Peter first started gardening two years ago when his dad fell ill John, 41, said: "Initially Peter was too young to do anything. But last year he started growing seedlings and planning where he wanted his plants to go in the spring. The only help I gave him was the digging and heavy lifting. Apart from that he did it all himself."

Peter's mum Pamela, 40, added: "A man came around on Monday July 29, then came back on July 31 with a clipboard. On August 1, we had a letter saying he'd won.

"Peter has been tending his plants in the greenhouse for months. He's looked after them from seedlings to mature blooms."

Peter goes to Gladstone Primary. He has always liked gardening and when he grows up he wants to be a gardener and grow big flowers. And while the damp summer has been a nuisance for most people, Peter is delighted.

He said: "It's been raining and sunny, which is good for the garden. I don't like growing vegetables because they're boring. I like growing flowers because they're prettier."

Next year, Peter is going to try for the title again, while his older brother Christopher, 15, takes on the adult category. Peter said: "I think I'm better than Chris, but not as good as my dad - yet."