Final preparations to perfect Shrewsbury’s floral tour de force, in readiness for a visit from the Heart of England in Bloom judges, are being made this week.
Every year the dedicated workforce at Shrewsbury Town Council’s nursery, at Weeping Cross, spend months preparing thousands of flowers to make the town’s streets and open spaces a floral masterpiece.
Heart of England judges will visit the town on Monday [JULY 18] when hundreds of floral hanging baskets, planters and containers, installed by the Town Council, will be judged against exacting criteria.
Entries into the competition are usually made by District, Borough, Town or Parish Councils and vary from small villages to large cities.
These entries are then judged against ones of similar status, by independent judges, during the months of June, July and early August.
Shrewsbury returned to the competition after a short hiatus last year and scooped a Gold award for its floral excellence.
The accolade followed success in recent years, under the former borough council, including a Gold medal in the National Britain in Bloom competition, Gold in the Entente Florale competition and the International Communities in Bloom.
Councillor Jackie Brennand, Chairman of Shrewsbury in Bloom, said hopes were high for this year with the ultimate goal to be selected to go forward to the national part of the contest, Britain in Bloom.
“We had excellent feedback from the judges last year and were thrilled to receive a Gold award for our floral excellence,” said Councillor Brennand.
“We scored highly in all areas of the judging criteria and we were given some advice on how we could do even better this year. We have improved our links with local schools and are gearing up to launch a brand new Shrewsbury in Bloom education pack.
“We have high hopes for this year’s contest and the final preparations for the judge’s visit are now underway. The ultimate goal is, of course, to be able to go forward and represent the town at national level in the Britain in Bloom competition.”
Helen Ball, Town Clerk added: “So many people work incredibly hard on preparing for Bloom every year and I would like to thank everyone who is involved, not just those who work for Shrewsbury Town Council but also our partners at Shropshire Council who make sure the streets are clean, freshly painted and free of graffiti to add to the overall effect, our businesses who sponsor the traffic islands and purchase hundreds of hanging baskets each year and, of course, our residents. Everyone pulls together for the best possible effect and the results speak for themselves.”
For further information contact Suzi Wilkinson, Marketing & Promotions Officer on: 01743 257654 or email suzi.wilkinson-stc@shropshire.gov.uk