Blooming great garden success for local people

Published by Gareth Holmes for Sanctuary Housing Association in Communities and also in Housing

Residents from Shaftesbury Court housing scheme in Farnborough are celebrating, after recent success in the South and South East in Bloom garden competition.

The picturesque Shaftesbury Court garden, which features a variety of brightly coloured flowers, is looked after by members of the Sanctuary Housing scheme’s garden group.

The green-fingered group have entered the Southern Water sponsoredcompetition for six years and have been awarded the South and South East’s ‘outstanding’ level for three years running.

Each year, new ideas are discussed over a cuppa at regular potting shed meetings. The hard work then begins in March, continuing until the end of June when competition judging begins.    

This year, the garden group whose oldest members are 90-plus entered the ‘It’s your neighbourhood category’ – the results of which were announced at a special awards ceremony held at Fontwell Park racecourse in West Sussex.

Five members of the garden group attended the awards ceremony alongside scheme manager, Audrey Bish.

They were delighted to walk away with not only an ‘outstanding’ result in the neighbourhood category; but a special Royal Horticultural Society, Britain in Bloom National Certificate of Distinction.

Muriel Banks, a Shaftesbury Court resident, said: “We are thrilled to bits with what we have achieved and hope to do as well next year."