It was a blooming marvellous day at a Haslemere care home as professional florists crowned the winners of its annual flower competition.

Melissa King and Diana Howard, from Marley Flowers, judged more than 30 floral displays at Hindhead Place Care Home on Portsmouth Road. Entries were submitted across three categories: Summer Garden, A Walk on the Wild Side and a children's competition.

Melissa said: "The creativity on display was fantastic. The winning arrangement in the 'Summer Garden' category was so beautifully executed that I would have been delighted if one of my own florists had created it. Every entry reflected real care, imagination and attention to detail."

Among the prize winners was Hindhead Place homemaker Iqmat Gbadamosi, who claimed second place.

She said: "It was a lovely surprise to get second place. I have never won anything in my life, so this is incredibly exciting. I really enjoyed creating my display, and it's wonderful to know people appreciated it."

Resident Jo Silcock, who took third place, said she was honoured by the recognition.

She said: "I love gardening and spend a lot of time working hard in the garden. This recognition means so much to me and makes all that effort worthwhile."

Co-judge Diana Howard said she had been particularly impressed by the children's entries.

She added: "The standard across all categories was remarkable. You could see the personality behind every arrangement, and the children's entries were especially imaginative. It was a real pleasure to be involved and to celebrate the creativity of everyone who took part."

Customer Relations Manager Mario Marzolini said the competition had brought together residents, relatives and members of the local community.

He added: "We are incredibly grateful to Melissa and Diana for giving their time and expertise to judge the competition."