ASPIRING gardeners from schools and groups across Furness have showcased their skills and scooped up a number of prizes at this year's Cumbria in Bloom.

More than 30 awards were presented across a range of categories in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant for Cumbria, Claire Hensman, at The Golf Hotel, Silloth.

Pupils at Yarlside Academy took the Best School Gardening award, for edible gardening and were joint runners up of the Rex Marsden Challenge trophy for enriching and widening the curriculum.

Kathryn Turner is a nursery teacher at the Barrow school and helps with the garden initiatives.

She said: "It is a nice reward for all the hard work that goes into gardening at school.

"We are all enthusiastic about gardening.

"Every child in school is involved in gardening and they cook and eat what they grow at school."

Another school who scooped up prizes was Dane Ghyll, who travelled to the ceremony especially.

The primary school took the award for Best Overall School Garden in Cumbria, and have won this award every year since 2012, except for 2013.

Louise Postlethwaite, Dane Ghyll's head gardener, said: "Again, we are delighted to win the award for the Best School Garden in the whole of Cumbria.

"The children work hard all year around to ensure our gardens are cared for."

Another great achievement for the school was to win the District Special Trophy For Achievement in the borough of Barrow.

They bagged certificates for their sensory/quiet garden and received a cheque for £100, which will be used to purchase further gardening equipment.

And it wasn't just the schools which flourished, Ulverston's St Mary's church won Best Churchyard.

Ford Park, Lightburn Park and the nature reserve by Canal Foot all earned certificates, while Ulverston won a Gold Award, for Best Sustainable Development Town, the South Lakeland trophy, the Best Town trophy and the Best Overall Town and Urban Community Trophy.