Town's garden efforts on display at Chelsea Flower Show

Flying the flag for the town, the volunteer team from Sidmouth in Bloom was chosen to exhibit at the prestigious event as part of the South West in Bloom stand. Lynette Talbot designed the centrepiece of their display, two floral elephants in a jungle surround. The elephants were featured in BBC coverage of the Flower Show and gave viewers and Chelsea visitors a glimpse of Sidmouth’s magnificent floral tradition.

The elephant display at Chelsea Flower Show (Image: SIB)
The sculptures are resplendent in a patchwork of glorious colours and pay tribute to the children’s character Elmer the elephant. They form part of a wider theme of Diversity and Environmental Protection, encouraging communities to protect and care for the world we live in. To create the elephants, Sidmouth volunteers worked and shared their expertise with apprentices at the London Royal Parks in a week-long operation earlier this summer.

Cllr Ian Barlow, Chair of Sidmouth Town Council, congratulated Sidmouth in Bloom on their success at Chelsea and throughout the year. He said: “We are proud to support the excellent work of Sidmouth in Bloom. The visual beauty provided by the volunteer team in and around our town benefits our residents, businesses and visitors alike, shows how strong our community is and helps build a better environment for us all.”

After the show, Sidmouth in Bloom will begin planning for next year’s floral sculptures in the town. This welcoming community group is always looking for volunteers to help them make Sidmouth beautiful, with no previous gardening experience necessary. Members of the public can also support their work through donations and join their popular Friends organisation. For more information, email info@sidmouthinbloom.org