With less than a week to go before the judges arrive, local businesses, schools, organisations and residents have come together to ensure Wilmslow has a golden glow for the 2014 Britain in Bloom competition.
Over 70 businesses and nine local schools are supporting volunteers at Incredible Edible to help spruce up Wilmslow ready for the RHS judges inspection on Thursday, 10th July.
The theme for this year's competition is 'Growing for Gold' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the In Bloom competition. Last year Wilmslow achieved a silver medal in Europe's largest community gardening campaign and this year they are pulling out all the stops and going for gold.
Wilmslow Town Council has arranged for the summer planting to have a golden theme and Incredible Edible, with support from Turners Nurseries, have planted yellow and orange varieties of herbs, fruit, vegetables and a mixture of golden, edible flowers. Businesses and two of the town's main landlords have also really got behind Wilmslow's entry by planting the front of their premises with golden edible and floral planters.
To cap it all Wilmslow Scarecrow Festival is supporting the campaign to gain a gold medal by encouraging entrants to give their scarecrows a golden touch.
Helen Yates of Incredible Edible Wilmslow said "It's really heart warming to have so many schools, businesses, councillors and volunteers supporting the town's 'Growing for Gold,' In Bloom entry this year. Not only for the buzz that's building around town for everyone to enjoy this Summer, but for the dedication of so many people to make positive changes to Wilmslow. I love the fact that the Rotary scarecrows are gold too and that so many of the businesses have incorporated an edible planter into their design. Thank you and a very big well done to everyone who is supporting the initiative."
New judge to Wilmslow David Bielawski will accompany John Bilsborough, who has visited the town for the previous two years, on 10th July when they will consider the quality and imagination of town planting, the cleanliness of the town centre and a number of softer features, such as community participation, environmental quality and the atmosphere in the town - as well as the obvious horticultural achievements.
The judges route will start at Lindow Common where they will meet the rangers and discuss the environmental work going on at the SSSI site. They will then go down to Pepperberry Nurseries to meet the children who have been growing the sunflower seeds that the RHS donated and then come into the town centre to visit council planters, business premises, and volunteers plots. The route will take them down Water Lane, Alderley Road, Hawthorn Lane, Church Street and Grove Street and end at the Memorial Gardens for a light lunch, after a visit to see the changes at the Carrs.
Businesses are being urged to support the campaign by adding a hanging basket or planter, gold themed with yellow and orange varieties of edibles if possible, as well as cleaning and pulling up weeds from the area infront of their premises.
Residents can also help by weeding outside the front of their homes, adding golden planting and going along to the Incredible Edible gardening sessions.
Incredible Edible and other volunteers will be doing some last minute gardening and tidying up ahead of the RHS judges visit on Thursday 10th July. Any help would be most appreciated. They will be meeting at the library at 2pm on both Sunday 6th July and Tuesday 8th July.
Comments
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Does the Town Council have plans to replant the roundabout near the King William pub before the judges arrive? It seems a strange decision to remove the existing greenery and leave it looking so dull and uninspiring for so long.
The rest of Wilmslow is looking beautiful!