A Pensioner and His Garden

Is this Britain's most immaculate garden? Pensioner spends 30 HOURS A WEEK tending his lawn which is cut to exactly 5mm

• 'It's my pride and joy' reveals self-confessed 'gardening geek' Stuart Grindle
• Lush lawn is cut twice-a-day three times a week says the green-fingered gardener
• The award-winning 70-year-old has spent 30 years crafting the former veggie patch into a floral paradise
• Gardening widow Anne says she is allowed to step on the hallowed turf but son was told 'no ball games allowed'
• Mr Grindle claims his garden is a full time job getting him up at the crack of dawn
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• Do you want a lawn like this? Well, it's easy – in theory. You just need to spend 30 hours a week gardening and do it for 30 years!

That's how long 70-year-old Stuart Grindle has spent turning a former vegetable plot into the picture of perfection it is today.

Mr Grindle mows his lawn six times a week and keeps the grass cut to an impressive 5mm. He was so determined to protect his precious grass that he even banned his son Jonathan from playing football on it when he was a boy.

Anne and Stuart Grindle stand on the hallowed turf, proudly showing off their immaculate garden at their home in Rotherham, Yorkshire

Stunning blooms, neat borders and vibrant shrubs dot the stunning green lawn

Mr Grindle is a former winner of the Doncaster In Bloom Best Garden competition

Dedicated Stuart, who is a retired joiner and lives with his wife Anne, 69, said: 'It is my pride and joy, most people probably only get out the lawnmower once a week but I cut my lawn twice-a-day, three days a week.

'People think it's astroturf because it's cut to 5mm long and in such good condition. That's down to watering it and cutting it often.

'I suppose I am a bit of a golf and gardening geek. Anne is a bit of a golf and gardening widow.'

The 70-year-old has spent 30 hours a week for the last 30 years tending his magnificent blooms and bushes

The self-confessed 'gardening geek' mows his lush green lawn SIX times a week to exactly 5 mm

In an effort to encourage her husband from his haven, Mrs Grindle rings a bell to grab his attention.

Mr Grindle added: 'She has a little bell she rings when she wants me to come in from the garden.

'It's not unknown for me to go out at 9am or even earlier. When I entered competitions and when I was preparing for the open garden day I was out there at 7am.

'I've managed to play golf twice in the past week but you know there's still work to be done when you get home - thankfully it's light until nine o'clock at the moment.'

Anne Grindle has to catch her husband's attention by ringing a bell to summon him away from his haven

Mr Grindle transformed the former vegetable plot into a floral paradise and threw open his garden gates to raise money for charity

Mr Grindle added: 'I have spent 30 years getting it to this state and I can put in 30 hours a week. It's a full-time job.'

Wife Anne confirmed that she was allowed to walk on the hallowed turf, but said Stuart had banned his son Jonathan from playing football there when he was a boy.

She said: 'There were no ball games allowed, Stuart always said there was a cricket field and a football field up the road he could use instead.'

Stuart, a former winner of the Doncaster In Bloom Best Garden competition, said aside from the lawn, his large-leaved hostas were his most prized feature, because of the wonderful colours of the leaves.