Bloom recognises that its groups are working in an increasingly challenging environment, and attention should be paid to this. Climate change and pollution are an everyday reality for groups working to manage gardens and open spaces. Reflecting problems with last years weather, the Bloom theme this year is: 'Water: Too Much & Too Little'.
This final workshop of the day in Chippenham, focused on the various aspects of the environment those taking part in Bloom need to pay particular attention to. This was a revelation to me, it highlighted things I hadn't even noticed before in the areas around the OTRA Gardens which need improving. It also explained why the area around where the conference was held was beautifully clean and smart, it had been photographed as an example of good practice for this presentation, and obviously lots of effort had gone into making it look really clean.
The areas to be considered under the environment heading are:
'Local identity', I wonder how I can apply this, what makes the areas around the 6 OTRA Gardens unique? I'll have to ask for help from our mentor here.
Secondly 'natural environment': within this category we have to consider how the natural environment is managed supporting a large variety of flora and fauna, with great biodiversity and provision for rewilded areas. I think we could manage to do this in various areas.
Most challenging for us is the third category: 'hard surfaces and open grass areas', this is to include cleanliness, absence of litter, street weeds, graffiti, vandalism, flyposting and chewing gum, water conservation and recycling initiatives, hard landscape, open spaces and street furniture maintenance and effective dog fouling control measures'. I hope we can make inroads into some of these problems in our areas. I'll show you some of the photos taken in Chippenham, which is incidentally the same size as South Swindon Parish, on the way back to the station
Above the railings beside the bridge over the river Avon in the centre of the town are well designed and are well maintained, and below here's an example of a bollard to stop parking on a very clean pavement.
and glimpsing over the side of the bridge, the river looks wonderful
Bringing those ideas back to our gardens in Old Town, I've realised I will need to bring the local businesses and community on side, as well as South Swindon Parish, to make the necessary improvements to our local environments. It will be worth it, but in some cases, there's an uphill struggle.
Look at this street furniture on Victoria Hill, the bed we call the Mr Cod bed because it's beside a fish and chip shop of that name:
There are two battered purple bins beside a graffiti covered utility box. Something has to be done to improve the appearance of these before the Bloom judging in July, and because they are an eyesore. But up the road from them, there's another hazard, an overflowing bin outside McColls shop. I've just looked up the shop, and discovered its opening hours are 7am-11pm Sunday-Thursday and 7am-12 midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. No wonder the bin is overflowing. Added to that, the manager of the shop is under the impression that the Parish are responsible for emptying the bin.
Maybe as a consequence of the overflowing bin, or high winds, the benches beside the garden at Mr Cod looked really unsightly.
I did go and clear away that rubbish, but areas where huge amounts of packaging have to be disposed of, need careful management if they are not to become swamped in litter. It is really hard to appreciate the wonderful planting in this sort of environment. Things can only get better though, can't they?
This final workshop of the day in Chippenham, focused on the various aspects of the environment those taking part in Bloom need to pay particular attention to. This was a revelation to me, it highlighted things I hadn't even noticed before in the areas around the OTRA Gardens which need improving. It also explained why the area around where the conference was held was beautifully clean and smart, it had been photographed as an example of good practice for this presentation, and obviously lots of effort had gone into making it look really clean.
The areas to be considered under the environment heading are:
'Local identity', I wonder how I can apply this, what makes the areas around the 6 OTRA Gardens unique? I'll have to ask for help from our mentor here.
Secondly 'natural environment': within this category we have to consider how the natural environment is managed supporting a large variety of flora and fauna, with great biodiversity and provision for rewilded areas. I think we could manage to do this in various areas.
Most challenging for us is the third category: 'hard surfaces and open grass areas', this is to include cleanliness, absence of litter, street weeds, graffiti, vandalism, flyposting and chewing gum, water conservation and recycling initiatives, hard landscape, open spaces and street furniture maintenance and effective dog fouling control measures'. I hope we can make inroads into some of these problems in our areas. I'll show you some of the photos taken in Chippenham, which is incidentally the same size as South Swindon Parish, on the way back to the station
Look at this street furniture on Victoria Hill, the bed we call the Mr Cod bed because it's beside a fish and chip shop of that name:
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