Petworth is blooming wonderful
Spring is here and what better way to celebrate the beautiful bursting buds than to look back over the glory of Petworth gardeners' success in Britain in Bloom, a competition celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024.
It was only in 2018 that Petworth Town Council entered the South & South East in Bloom part of the national RHS gardening competition for the first time.
Petworth in Bloom started with a traffic calming measure, the creation of gateway planting on the roads leading into town. But judging is about more than floral displays, it also looks at the environment, as well as biodiversity and heritage.
The efforts that first year were organised by Judith Spencer from Petworth Gardeners’ Club and 44 businesses showed support with wonderful window displays.
Residents also adopted the colour scheme of green, white and violet, marking 100 years of women’s suffrage.
Judges arrived in July 2018 and come September, the volunteers learned they had earned a Silver Gilt, 17 points off Gold.
The following year, the gateways doubled in size, more hanging baskets and troughs were planted throughout the town and another flower bed was created in Rosemary Gardens.
The RHS judges were given a presentation by Patricia Hewlett and Lorraine Cooke, with a speech by Anthony Curl, chair of the Petworth Business Association.
This time, with its bold, bright planting scheme for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, Petworth was only six points off Gold, so another Silver Gilt and a determination to achieve that top prize.
The chosen theme for 2020 was the 75th anniversary of VE Day and despite Covid, volunteers managed to plant up troughs and hanging baskets in patriotic colours of red, white and blue.
Petworth was finally awarded the cherished Gold and to top it all, there was not only another Gold in 2021 but an invitation to take part in Britain in Bloom 2022 as a candidate for best small town.
Petworth was awarded a Silver Gilt in the national competition and the work has continued, with Gold awards for 2022 and 2023 in South & South East in Bloom.