Storrington wins the Silver Gilt in ‘South East in Bloom’ competition

At a well-attended presentation of the awards at the Squires Garden Centre in Washington, Sarah Squires, Director of D.J. Squire & Co Ltd, welcomed everybody to the centre, and congratulated all the winners for their achievements.

The top 3 front gardens, and top 3 allotments, community areas and business/pub gardens have been known since mid July, but the order has been kept secret, so that residents can form their own ideas of who are the winning entries!

Sarah Squires , the main sponsor, was introduced by Jo Newington, Village Florist and coordinator of the Storrington in Bloom team , who broke the earlier news that the town had again for the second time in a row won a Silver Gilt Award in the South & South East in Bloom.

Congratulations were also given to The Churchyard, and Riverside Walk & Meadowside for achieving Silver Awards in their respective categories, and Brewers Yard for a Judges’ Special Award.

Jo then thanked all her volunteer team, and the many other supporters of In Bloom, and handed over to Tom Brown, Head Gardener from Parham House, who then presented the successful gardeners with their certificates, plaques and trophies.

Tom Brown was very complementary about the amount of work put in by the volunteers for the town’s entry in SE in Bloom, as well as the efforts by all the entrants to the local competition.

The competition’s sponsors, Squires, Waitrose, Caremark, The Chanctonbury Lions, The Moon pub, The Village Florist and Tribes were also thanked for their support.

The winning entrants were presented with their certificates as follows -

Best Front Garden - John Butler, No. 1 Melton Drive

Best Allotment - Gill Ion, Plot 23 of Amberley Road allotments

Best Community Area - Brewers Yard

Best Business External Floral Display - Vintage Rose

Best Business Window Display - Oxfam

Best Wheelbarrow Challenge - Chanctonbury Leisure Playscheme.

The whole event was very convivial, with an excellent slide display available for all present of the highlights of 2014 competition , and useful ideas given by entrants for the 2015 competition.

Tom Brown, Sarah Squires, Jim Sanson, Horsham District Councillor, and all those involved were thanked for their contributions, and plans are already being laid for the 2015 displays.

Report and pictures contributed by David Wright, Storrington In Bloom.