Green fingered volunteers in Sidmouth and Beer have triumphed in this year’s South West in Bloom competition, scooping gold in their respective competitions.
Sidmouth in Bloom added another gold to its collection, as well as the Sargent Cup, following a visit by judges Christine Fraser and John Goulden in July.
Mr Goulden told the Herald; “You have a community that i building and supporting each other, which is what the competition is all about. It is improving communities through excellent agriculture and they are doing it in spades here.”
The town also triumphed in the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ scheme, which recognised seven community projects.
The Friends of the Byes, The Chairman’s Garden, Witheby Entrance Garden, Sidbashers and Sidcombers received the highest rating of ‘outstanding’.
The Ham garden restoring project and Margaret’s Meadow and Livonia Road Shubbery all achieved a ‘thriving’ rating.
Beer secured gold in the Champion of Champions class, impressing judges when they came to visit in August.
The village also scooped nine ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ prizes.
Projects including Beer Village, the Jubilee gardening team, Beer Primary School, Charlie’s Yard, Puffins Pre-School and the grounds outside St Michael’s Church and war memorial were all rated ‘thriving’.
Beer Sailing Club was ‘establishing’ and the Beer play park enthusiasts and Fore Street Children marked as ‘advancing’ within the scheme.
Sidmouth will find out how it has fared in this year’s Britain in Bloom competition on October 27.
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