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Green Borough

Brent in Bloom back with a buzz

The Brent in Bloom 2022 competition is back with a buzz – with winners set to receive up to £100 worth of vouchers.

Categories range from: front garden planting, awarded to the most colourful and imaginative front garden visible from the street, to communal gardens, where a group of residents get together to spruce up a communal area. There is also a prize for the most sustainable idea that uses recyclable materials. For more information visit www.brent. gov.uk and search ‘Brent in Bloom’. Entries must be in by 29 August 2022.

Blooming roundabouts spring into life

Green fingered schoolchildren and residents came together to plant more than 500 bulbs on three roundabouts in Kingsbury.

Pupils and teachers from Oliver Goldsmith Primary School joined with the Springfield Estate Residents Association and gardeners from Veolia to plant the donated bulbs.

As spring approaches, everyone is eagerly awaiting the first signs of the bulbs bursting into bloom and attracting more birds, bees and insects.

Community skips for your bulky items

This spring, from 21 February to 15 March, look out for community skips across the borough to drop off your unwanted bulky items, like sofas, broken chairs and other bits and pieces you no longer need and want to get rid of.

The arrival of the skips coincides with the Great British Spring Clean which is back bigger and better than ever with more dates and locations added to make it easy for residents to drop off unwanted items to be recycled and reused by others.

“If you have unwanted bulky items, it’s easy and free to drop them off at one of our community skips,” says Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment. “Together we can reduce illegal rubbish dumping on our streets which is unpleasant for everyone and costly to clear up. All you need is proof of a Brent address to drop off bulky items free of charge. Let’s keep Brent clean.”

For details of skip locations and dates visit www.brent.gov.uk

Budding gardeners rose to the occasion

Husband and wife duo, Franco and Inma Doldan take great pride in their front garden in Wembley and strive to keep it looking trim and tidy.

“We have lived in our home for 44 years,” says Inman. “We had no clue about gardening when we first moved here, but thankfully our lovely neighbour and good friend Neville, who has since sadly passed away, helped us a lot, teaching us about the different types of plants and weeds.

“Franco and Neville spent a lot of time in the front garden chatting, gardening, and exchanging tips and seedlings. My husband shapes all the bay trees that he planted all over the garden, and keeps them looking trim.

“I love to buy the plants and flowers. In the summer, the garden is in full bloom with colourful flowers.

“It takes a lot of time to keep it looking neat and tidy, our daughter Belinda, had to take over as gardener during lockdown as we were abroad when the pandemic started. She did a fantastic job considering she works long hours all week.”

Love where you live

Don’t have a front garden? No problem, you can still show your love for where you live by sprucing up the space around you.

If you are a resident or part of a community group, you can apply for a grant of up to £1,000 to improve your area as Chalkhill residents did by coming together to plant flowerbeds in the green space between the parking bays.

To find out more email: lovewhereyoulive@brent.gov.uk or visit: www.brent.gov.uk/lovewhereyoulive