Dear Editor,
I have lived in The Culvert for just over two years and have been looking at the lack of flowers/plant life around Bradley Stoke in the residential areas.
I’m from Shropshire and the town I’m from has won Britain in Bloom on numerous occasions. The main area focused on in Shropshire are the roundabouts. They get local businesses to sponsor a roundabout and fill it with plants, flowers and sculptures. They sometimes get the local residents to vote on their favourite roundabout and give the winning company a double page spread advertisement in the local Journal.
Usually the roundabouts are decorated to fit with the businesses’ images. For example, the local steam railway put a train engine on one year and the next made a train out of flowers and the local water company made a river out of flowers and stones. Lots of the roundabouts and flower decorations are made or designed by the local schools and community centres.
I have given it some thought and have discussed it with residents of some of the other streets, and we all think it would be a good idea to try and enter Britain in Bloom in the next few years. I think it will really brighten Bradley Stoke up and could give it a good sense of community if we could run some classes in the schools about gardening and plant care and some activity days at the Willow Brook Centre to get the whole town involved.
It’s not just roundabouts and community areas that are brightened up – the schools make their own decorative flower planters and many of the residents take more pride and care in their front gardens to make an impression.
For more info, see: New to Bloom (Royal Horticultural Society)
I really think Bradley Stoke could so with something like this to make it a bit brighter and a bit more memorable.
Yours sincerely,
Zee Malan
[Ed: Anyone interested in getting involved can contact Zee at: zeemalan@hotmail.co.uk]
A great idea to show off our town and the roundabouts which are a major feature could indeed be put to better use. We try to do our bit with hanging baskets and flower borders in the front garden but there is so much more potential.
Maybe Tesco could make a contribution at the Three Brooks location, but hopefully not based on an abandoned shoppng trolley.
A marvellous idea, Zee. The arrays of flowers on roundabouts, etc. that you see in Britain in Bloom towns are just delightful. I’m picturing it now. Wonderful.
Also, what about the square at Willowbrook shopping centre? Some hanging baskets on the lamposts around the central area would certainly brighten the area up at not much cost.
These are exactly the ideas I’m looking for – thank you! I hope to get the word spread to some of the local businesses and try to get them on board to help with the bigger projects but certainly we need people to do their bit in their own front gardens too. I’ll be starting mine this bank holiday to try and encourage the rest of The Culvert to join me. Keep the ideas coming and please spread the word to other people.
This is such a great idea! It would raise the profile of the whole area and nurture community spirit and pride among the residents, schools and local businesses.
How would one become involved?
@Amit, Contact Zee via the email address given at the bottom of the article.
It would be wonderful for people to get involved. So many of the Britain in Bloom winners are from old market towns who enter year after year. Doing this in a new[ish] town like Bradley Stoke would brighten the place up and encourage people to talk to each other. Some local businesses should be keen to sponsor roundabouts, hanging baskets etc.
Good luck Zee in your endeavours
Wow…. I was at the Willowbrook square this afternoon and noticed that all the lamposts around the square had hanging baskets on them!!! Looked great and will brighten the square up. Co-incidence?!