At St Albans District in Bloom Awards 2012, talented gardeners received awards for helping to create attractive green spaces visible to the local community.
This annual gardening competition is organised by St Albans City and District Council, in partnership with sponsor Aylett Nurseries. It provides the opportunity for gardening enthusiasts to showcase their talent and contribute to making the District bloom.
This year the judges were looking for evidence of sustainable gardening techniques across all the categories.
The winners were presented with their awards at a ceremony on 10 September at Aylett Nurseries. They included June Whetherley of St Albans who won Best Sustainable Garden. She uses water collected in water-butts for her vegetables and flowers and has a pond, bird-feeders and a worm farm in her garden.
The award for Best Front Garden went to Mrs Woods from Harpenden who provided a glorious display of beautiful blooms and an array of roses.
There were winners from right across the District, including The Plough & Harrow in Harpenden which won Best Public House Frontage. Redbourn Parish Council won best Parish in Bloom and Wheathampstead Parish Council won Best Community Project.
The Mayor of St Albans City and District, Councillor Eileen Harris, who opened the ceremony, said: “These award winners are to be congratulated for all their hard work in making their green spaces look wonderful and for their use of sustainable gardening methods.”
The judging took place over three weeks in July with the help of four judges: Andy Wight, Head of Work Based Horticulture at Oaklands College; Martin Finney, Garden Designer at Aylett Nurseries; Don Shortman, Qualified Steward for the British Fuchsia Society, and Peter Lutman from Rothamsted Research Centre.
Councillor Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism at the Council, said: “This competition plays a significant role in encouraging people to make the District more visually attractive and appealing. I want to thank everyone who has taken part in the competition and for all their hard work.”
All the competition entrants were invited to the awards ceremony held at Aylett Nurseries.
Adam Wigglesworth, Director of Aylett Nurseries, said: "We are delighted to sponsor the District in Bloom 2012 competition. The competition celebrates people’s achievements in enhancing our local area and, inspite of the inclement weather this year, they have done wonderfully well!"
The winners of the categories are as follows:-
Best Sustainable Garden
Winner - June Whetherley of St Albans
Highly Commended - Isobel Leek of South Harpenden
Best Front Garden
Winner - Mrs Woods of Harpenden
Highly Commended - Beryl Hopkins of St Albans
Best Public House Frontage
Winner - Plough & Harrow, Harpenden
Highly Commended - Blacksmith Arms, St Albans
Best School Project
Joint Winners - Watling View School, St Albans and Manland Primary School, Harpenden
Highly Commended - Aboyne Lodge School, St Albans; Oakwood Primary School, St Albans and The Grove Junior & Infants School, Harpenden
Best Allotment
Winner - Robert Tofts of St Albans
Highly Commended - Brian Gilson of St Albans
Best Parish in Bloom
Winner - Redbourn Parish Council
Highly Commended - Wheathampstead Parish Council
Best Community Project
Winner - Wheathampstead Parish Council
Highly Commended – Bernard Street Community Project
Councillor contact:
Councillor Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism at the Council
Mob: Tel: 07956 220264
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Media and Internal Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Pictures:
(Above) Winners of District in Bloom Awards 2012 with the Mayor of St Albans City and District, Cllr Eileen Harris