Waltons Blog Awards winners

Waltons Blog Awards winners

The results for the Waltons Blog Awards 2017 are in, and we're proud to present the winners.

Chosen by a carefully selected panel, the winners here are those who received the most votes in their own category.

Best gardening blog

First: Rusty Duck
Rusty Duck's garden
Rusty Duck's beautiful space
Image: rustyduck.net

With tales of her garden restoration, Jessica at Rusty Duck has taken first prize in the gardening blog category. Check out her battle with the berberis, and find out who won (clue: it's the one with the secateurs).

Second: Sharpen your spades

chitting potatoes
To chit, or not to chit?
Image: sharpenyourspades.com

Coming in a close second is Richard Chivers' kitchen and allotment garden blog. Richard shares cultivation ideas and inspiration on his site.

Best 'grow your own' blog

First: The Unconventional Gardener

unconventional gardener japanese wineberries
Japanese Wineberries from Emma's unconventional garden
Image: The Unconventional Gardener

Ethnobotanist Emma Cooper takes first place with her blog about her unusual growing exploits. She has a regular podcast , and writes on her blog on topics from permaculture to aphrodisiacs.

Second: Dig My Veg

digmyveg red cabbage and beetroot chutney
Dig my veg... preserve my veg...
Image: digmyveg.com

Our runner-up here is Judy Bown's kitchen garden blog. She posts regular updates on growing her food as well as delicious recipes in her 'eat my veg' section.

Best beekeeping blog

First: Adventures in Beeland

A box full of bees
Image: adventuresinbeeland.com

Beekeeping blogger Emily Scott was voted into first place for her posts on her own beekeeping, as well as updates from the Middlesex Beekeepers' Association's Federation days.

Second: Beekeeping Afloat

perivale apiaries
Thomas' Perivale apiaries Image: beekeepingafloat.com

In second place, urban beekeeper Thomas Bickerdike's blog is an account of his learnings after eight years of beekeeping. He still humbly describes himself as a beginner. His tribute to a four-year-old queen is testament to his love of the craft.

Best allotment blog

First: Veg Plotting

basket of fire chillies
Michelle grows indoors as well as out, as her basket of fire proves!
Image: vegplotting.com

Popular blogger Michelle Chapman takes first place in the allotment category. Her regular growing and garden visit blog posts inform the mind and entertain the eyes.

Second: Green Lane Allotments

summer flower bed on allotment
Green Lane Allotment's summer flower bed
Image: Green Lane Allotments

Sue Garrett's Green Lane Allotments blog is second, with her detailed accounts of activities on her plot. She's also got some fantastic pictures of the flowers she grows.

Best smallholding blog

First: Our Smallholding Adventure

smallholding adventure chickens
Chickens enjoying the smallholding adventure
Image: Our Smallholding Adventure

First place smallholding blogger Tracy Chadfield's family are on a true adventure. Pigs, ducks and chickens, as well as a range of horticultural delights populate the record of her family's cultivation escapades.

Second: The Smallest Smallholding

smallest smallholding shed love
Giving the smallholding shed some love
Image: smallestsmallholding.com

In second place, the 'Smallest Smallholding' follows the trials and tribulations of a would-be vegan smallholder. Lucy's online journal documents the progress of her suburban patch as it progresses through the seasons.

Best flowers blog

First: Gardens, Weeds and Words
gardens weeds and words hellebores
Hellebores from the garden
Image: Gardens, Weeds and Words

Blogger Andrew O'Brien says he has a 'too-loud laugh'. Here's hoping he has a happy laugh now; his flower and cultivation blog posts have earned him first place!

Second: Weeding the Web

winter honeysuckle
Winter honeysuckle in full bloom
Image: Weeding the Web

Helen Gazely's words documenting seasonal plants and flowers takes second place. Her photos are also a feast for the eyes.

Best outdoor kids' blog

First: Kids in the Garden

den in the woods
A den in the woods is a great way to get kids to play outside
Image: kidsinthegarden.co.uk

First-place outdoor kids' blogger, Lynda Appuhamy, is dedicated to finding ways to get children playing outside, and her winning blog is packed with growing ideas and garden activites for youngsters!

Second: Little Green Fingers

little green fingers watering plants
Watering plants is an easy way to start gardening
Image: LIttle Green Fingers

Runner up here is Dawn Isaac's 'Little Green Fingers'. Indoor and outdoor gardening tips for children, as well as crafty ideas using items for the garden make hers a popular blog.

Best creative/ shed worker blog

First: Shedworking

shedworking garden office
The original Shedworking garden office
Image: Shedworking

Alex Johnson takes creative and shed worker first place with his incredibly useful Shedworking blog. A former Shed of the Year judge, Alex's blog is filled with tips for shed workers and people wanting to create fantastic, usable garden spaces.

Second: Cinnamon Jewellery

ice resin jewellery
Experiments in ice resin jewellery yield great results
Image: Cinnamon Jewellery

Coming in second is jeweller Tracy Smith's blog. Working in her shed, Tracy creates amazing jewellery, often sharing her making methods and processes. Her new kitten, Pixie also makes an appearance!

Best recycling blog

First: Vicky Myers Creations

vicky myers creations
Just a few of Vicky Myers' upcycled creations
Image: Vicky Myers Creations

Recycler, Vicky Myers, takes first place in this category. She shares great ideas about making toys, clothes and crafts from found and leftover objects. Her detailed instructions mean you'll find it easy to undertake these projects yourself.

Second: Upcycle That

upcycle that sweater stool
This sweater stool is just one of the upcycling projects you can learn
Image: Upcycle That

The Upcyle That team were voted in second place. Sharing their own upcycling ideas along with amazing recycled objects from around the world, they've built up a wealth of tips on re-using everyday articles that we normally throw away.

Congratulations to all of our winning bloggers - and a big thanks to those who took part but didn't win this year.

Keep an eye out for updates from all of these bloggers - they all make a winning read!