A PAIR of Hampshire gardeners are still growing strong after making it through to the fourth week of a television competition.

Eleanor Waterhouse and Kate Bennett are still in with a chance of winning BBC Two’s The Big Allotment Challenge after escaping eviction from their on-set allotment for the third time.

Just six teams remain on the show, billed as gardening’s The Great British Bake Off, which sees budding gardeners from across the country out their growing skills to the test in front of an audience of millions.

The 63-year old best friends from Winchester last night impressed judges once again and won two of the four weekly competitions. The grandmothers were rewarded with best-in-show prizes for their stump rooted carrots and their purple flora gladioli spike, despite white speckles on the flower.

Judges praised them for growing three matching carrots and a gladioli spike that was one-third in flower, had one-third coloured buds and one-third green buds.

The teams will go head to head again next Tuesday from 8pm on BBC Two when they will be judged on their aubergines, sunflowers and pickles.