Judging complete for Bury in Bloom

By the time you read the August edition of the Bury St Edmunds Directory, the teams of judges will have viewed over 20,000 front gardens including Marham Park and areas of

Moreton Hall previously classified as Rougham.

To be able to include these areas the latest Ordnance Survey map had to be sourced and our excellent printers had to divide it into the 11 zones that are covered by Certificates Of Merit.

Last year the points system was revised to reward more wildlife friendly, sustainable gardens while still rewarding more traditional planting.

Details of points system at www.buryinbloom.org.uk under Certificates of Merit.

Over 80 judges attended the briefing at the end of June. Judging was completed by sunset on Sunday July 16th. In the September edition look out for confirmation of how many certificates were awarded.

Enjoy your gardening

As part of Bury in Bloom’s ongoing sustainability pledge, we are working closely with the local Council’s to implement schemes across the town to maximise our environmental impact, such as installing rainwater harvesting tanks, using peat-free compost and most recently a new initiative to replace annual bedding plants on roundabouts with perennials.

This will see several immediate benefits; less watering, lower maintenance costs, zero ‘fast fashion’ bedding plants arriving twice a year and ultimately providing a natural home for wildlife all-year-round. To start us off, we begin with a brand new scheme at the Sainsburys roundabout in Bedingfeld Way.

You may have noticed there have been no plants added for the summer – and this is so that we can begin preparing the land to control thuggish weeds and improve water retention and drainage in the soil, ready for planting in the autumn.

The considerable cost saving to West Suffolk Council for this roundabout will instead be redirected and spent on the new perennial plants. Signage will be installed very soon to make people aware, and we hope that if this project is a success, more roundabouts will follow suit and we can create a cleaner, greener town for all to enjoy.

Both Suffolk County Council and West Suffolk Council have already ceased the use of Glyphosate weed killer in a bid to reduce harm to wildlife.