Hythe in Bloom
brightens the loos! By Sally Chesters
From left to right: Gill Bond, Caroline Armstrong, Stu Armstrong, Sally Chesters
Hythe in Bloom operates under the auspices of Hythe Civic Society and, since 2004, it has worked hard to provide summer and winter floral displays in and around Hythe, including tubs in the High Street and railing-mounted troughs in Prospect Road. This autumn Hythe in Bloom has taken on a new challenge. The large flower bed outside the public toilets in Chapel Street, Hythe, had been suffering from neglect so, with the help of Folkestone and Hythe District Council, volunteers cleared the bed and re-planted it with a colourful array of shrubs and plants to brighten up this area of the town. The beautiful apricot-coloured roses – donated many years ago by the Hythe Rotary Club – have remained, as has the Phormium and perennial Geraniums, and these have been joined by Choisyas, Daisies and Stachys. A
beautiful selection which should provide allyear-round interest. Gill Bond, one of the volunteers, said: ’The flowerbed was looking very sad and neglected, so it is a pleasure to bring it back to life to brighten up this area of the town. The several hours it took to do the work were well worth it.’ Photographs show the flowerbed after planting and the volunteers who carried out the work. For more information contact: Sally Chesters (01303) 266118
“The flowerbed was looking very sad and neglected, so it is a pleasure to bring it back to life to brighten up this area of the town.”
Why Volunteer? The work on brightening the flowerbed outside the loos is just one of a number of projects in which Hythe Civic Society is involved - many of which require the support of volunteers. Over the past year, hours have been spent planting troughs, weeding, planting trees and watering and the number of volunteer hours expended runs into the hundreds. Out of interest, some of the volunteers were asked why they volunteer and here are some of the responses they gave….
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‘Our friendly and loyal Hythe in Bloom gardening neighbours suggested we might be interested!’ ‘Having moved to Hythe, I was so pleased to see the planters in the High Street. Lots of colour but more importantly, showing that people were happy to give up their time to the enjoyment of others.’ ‘It’s good for you and the community’ ‘I volunteer because it’s hugely satisfying, I meet fantastic people and I want the place where I live to look great!’
‘A study suggests that volunteering is one of the top ten contributors to personal happiness.’… ….So, if you are not a volunteer already, why not give it a try? A group of volunteers meets every week to do some gardening somewhere in the town. If you would like to join the group – or help with tree-planting etc – call Sally Chesters on 01303 266118 for more information….it’s not guaranteed but it is hoped that personal happiness will follow…
