The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Blooming great efforts secure awards success
Gardeners in Perth and East Haven in Angus win top accolades
Community gardeners in Perth and East Haven have weeded out stiff competition to pick up top accolades in the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual Britain in Bloom awards.
At an awards ceremony held in Dublin, the Fair City won a gold medal, came top of the large town category and won the discretionary parks and green spaces award for the quality of Riverside Park.
Judges were impressed with the city’s passion and commitment, with standout features including the railway station, recycling walk and heather garden.
Tom Lowdon of Perth was also named community champion and Perth is in the running for Champion of Champions next year.
East Haven, on the Angus coast, picked up the Gold Award for Britain’s best coastal village.
The village near Carnoustie won the category thanks to its conservation efforts at a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) coastal habitat.
The community has reduced plastic use and beach litter and helped to protect the rare greater yellow rattle plant and the UK’s smallest butterfly species, the small blue butterfly.
There were further celebrations when Wendy Murray was awarded an RHS community champion discretionary award.
The entire East Haven community joined together on Saturday evening to celebrate their achievements.
Wendy said: “The achievement of East Haven should give all communities hope in that it is possible to make a difference to the place you live if there is a bit of willingness and community spirit amongst neighbours and friends.
“With a population of only 79 adults and a handful of children, East Haven was competing against places with many more resources and volunteers.
“We are bursting with pride and cannot believe we have achieved this in five years.”
Perth in Bloom chairman John Summers said: “We are absolutely overwhelmed by these fantastic successes.
“These awards represent thoroughly well-deserved recognition for all the work done by our amazing volunteers and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
“We are very honoured indeed to have been nominated for the Champion of Champions Award next year.
“This is the highest honour awarded by Britain in Bloom, but it also has the very highest judging standards.
“That means a lot of work for us but we know we are up for the challenge.”