MOST lads of 18 are obsessed with football or fast cars, but for champion Matthew Barnes it's flowers.

Hanging-basket enthusiast Matthew has taken first place for the second year running in Newport in Bloom.

It's the latest green-fingered achievement for Matthew, who first picked up a watering can at the age of two, ran an allotment at 14, studied horticulture at Coleg Gwent, and now works at Usk Gardening Centre.

He said: "I've always loved gardening and growing plants. It's my pleasure and I've got the perfect job.

"This is my fifth year in Newport in Bloom and I didn't think I would come first again. I was thrilled when I found out."

Matthew, of Stockton Road, St Julian's, Newport, won the class for best display using tubs, containers and hanging baskets.

He said: "We've had a lot of people knocking on the door, asking about the flowers and saying how nice they look.

"I've used some really colourful begonias this year. It took me about a fortnight to plant it all up. It takes at least ten hours a week to maintain and has cost me over £500.

"It's an excellent competition and I'll enter again next year." Alan Williams, chairman of Newport in Bloom, said: "The team of nine judges, many of whom were professional gardeners, were very impressed with the standards this year." David Morris, grounds and countryside services manager at Newport council, said: "It went very well this year, with much more business interest. The committee got lots of landfill tax money to pay for the public displays."

Brian Ansen, 60, runs the Roman Lodge Hotel with wife Judith in Ponthir Road, Caerleon. The couple took first place in the pubs and hotels category.

He said: "We got second place last year and went for first this time. We're chuffed. "We mixed and matched all sorts of colours and plants, and it's absolutely beautiful. Customers have been mesmerised by the overall effect.

"Competitions like this are important to give gardeners a goal, and it's great to win it."

WALES in Bloom judge Clive Addison toured the floral highlights of Newport yesterday and will decide whether Newport wins the competition for the seventh time and the fifth on the trot. He said: "I'm impressed by the floral displays."