Silloth Wins Cumbria in Bloom Awards 2015

Silloth Wins Cumbria in Bloom Awards 2015

Press Release – 17th September 2015

Silloth-on-Solway has won the Cumbria in Bloom ‘Coastal Town’ Award for the Second Year running. In addition this year, the special category Continental Landscapes Trophy was awarded to Silloth for the Community Garden and the new Bee Loving Garden, which were joint winners. In addition these two gardens were individual winners in the Britain in Bloom Royal Horticultural ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ Category, each gaining a Level 5 ‘Outstanding’ result.

Cllr. Bill Jefferson, Chair of the Silloth Town Council Parks Committee said “I am delighted at the numerous awards achieved by Silloth and particularly the special recognition of outstanding awarded to the Bee Centre/Rose Garden project.”

Both winning gardens are looked after by local volunteers. Anne Winter puts in many hours in the Community Garden, which opened in April 2014, and is much admired by local people and visitors.

More recently, from May of this year, Vivian Russell has put many long hours into digging out and adding a variety of different bee loving plants to the sunken Rose Garden, which was originally created in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth11. Over the Winter of 2014/15, the site was drained by Silloth Town Council, but replanting the garden with roses alone was problematic due to a condition known as ‘rose sickness’ caused by a build up of soil pests and pathogens over time. This led to a complete rethink of the garden. The Council decided to bring the garden into the 21st century and address pressing concerns over the welfare of our bees, butterflies and biodiversity, while at the same time preserving the heritage of the site.

The garden has been entirely replanted by Vivian with robust bee, bug and butterfly friendly annuals, perennials, shrubs and roses, the latter having been planted inside empty chip boxes filled with new soil and nutrients before being covered over. Vivian believes that “by the time the boxes have disintegrated the old soil will be fine for the rose roots to grow in.” Her hope is that the plants chosen will withstand the wind blowing off the sea, especially where the garden is exposed at the arcade end.

In the middle of the new bee loving garden stands a striking Bee and Bug Hotel, a replica of the Victorian Pagoda, which overlooks the Solway from the top of the wooded area above the Splash pad. The replica structure was built by the Green’s Maintenance Team. The weathervane on the top is a copy of the original weather vane, which sat for many years on the top of the original Victorian pagoda.

The sunny side of the bee hotel, described by one of the Cumbria in Bloom judges as ‘fit for a Queen (as in Queen Bee),’ faces the Green and has nesting sites for solitary bees to use next spring. The other three sides provide shelter and a place to ‘over winter’ for other insects. Vivian grew many flowers from seed, and has filled the gaps between the young garden perennials with the annual green manure Phacelia, which is a brilliant plant for bees. The garden is 100% organic. Many people have stopped by the garden over the summer to admire Vivian’s efforts and the beautiful display of colourful flowers. The hope is to develop education plans with local schoolchildren and advise adults over the choice of plants for their own gardens. Vivian hopes that people will take away some ideas, knowing that the plants will cope with our Cumbrian weather. Enter ‘Silloth Bees’ in the ‘Search’ button on Facebook to learn more and ‘like’ this exciting new Garden.

For further information, photos and to arrange interviews, please contact

Anna Malina, Community Engagement officer. eMail: anna.malina@silloth-on-solway.co.uk Mobile: 07900922818. Or visit the new gardens and speak to volunteers, Anne Winter and Vivian Russell, who are often there and will be pleased to supply information.

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors About Cumbria in Bloom

 

Registered Charity No: 1117828

Elizabeth Auld, Administrator, Bannerdale, Unthank, Dalston, Carlisle, CA5 7BA

Telephone: 01228 710128 E-Mail:lizauld@btinternet.com

 

Cumbria in Bloom is a charitable organisation set up to encourage community activities and competitions for those who care for and take pride in the surroundings in which they live and work. The ethos of Cumbria in Bloom is the participation of people working together to help retain, develop and improve the environment of their own communities. Cumbria in Bloom presents a platform and focus for communities to undertake projects, campaign for their community needs and create enthusiasm for them to provide standards of environmental care and maintenance comparable to the best in Cumbria. By providing this programme of activities Cumbria in Bloom has brought immense benefit to Cumbria. In 2014, participating Communities, Schools, Neighbourhood Groups, Tourism and Businesses, through approximately 150 groups, involved an estimated 1,500 volunteers who contributed 60,000 hours equating to over £500,000 ‘in kind’ value to Cumbrian communities.

Cumbria in Bloom promotes an integrated approach to community improvement with horticulture as the principle focus for achieving its objectives. This year is the 30th anniversary of Cumbria in Bloom.

Participating communities, which can be of any size between tiny hamlets and the city of Carlisle, are asked to focus their initiatives around three guiding principles:

  • Horticultural Achievement
  • Environmental Responsibility
  • Community Participation.

This means Cumbria in Bloom communities concern themselves with issues ranging from litter, graffiti and anti-social behaviour through to conservation, sustainability and improving horticultural standards. Collateral benefits include the fostering of community pride and a sense of place and belonging. Inclusivity is at the heart of our endeavours and all ages are encouraged to take part.

By encouraging communities to take pride in their surroundings Cumbria in Bloom has improved the attractiveness of towns, villages and hamlets throughout the County. Over the years many communities have gone on to represent Cumbria in Britain in Bloom, most recently, Dalton in Furness and Kirkoswald.

Cumbria in Bloom recognises that it needs to adapt and to provide high quality guidance and advice to the communities, to ensure that the competitions and involvement continue to be valued. To recognise the community involvement a Schools Gardening Competition, the RHS’s “It’s Your Neighbourhood” Award, and Tidy Village Competition have evolved. The ‘In Bloom’ main competition has for a number of years been known as ‘Cumbria in Bloom Pride in Your Community.’ This is to encourage communities to see that, even if they are not horticulturally minded, they can still show recognition of pride of place. Now is the time for entries from towns, villages and hamlets in the main ‘In Bloom’ competition, as well as the smaller groups, schools and tourist businesses and attractions in the other competitions.

Working with town and parish councils is vital to the future well-being of our local communities in Cumbria.