First hint of Summer heralds the start of this year’s Marlborough in Bloom campaign

It all starts now.  Marlborough in Bloom’s aim for this year is to go one better than the Silver Gilt Award achieved in last year’s very successful campaign, and the programme kicks off with a number of local events scheduled to support the community effort in the town ahead of judging in July.

The Britain in Bloom competition, organised by The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is an annual nationwide community gardening campaign which recognises community participation as well as environmental responsibility and horticultural achievement in transforming public spaces.  This year’s theme is bees.

To reflect this theme in this year’s campaign Marlborough in Bloom has organised local beekeeper, Fiona Robinson of the Wiltshire Bee Centre, to visit St Mary’s and St Peter’s primary schools in Marlborough on 23 May to speak in the school assemblies about the importance of honeybees in the environment.  An art competition is also running for the pupils to create a bee out of any medium – painting/sculpture/collage – which will be judged by local artists, Sue Thomson and Malcolm Ward, in June.

The White Horse Bookshop in conjunction with Marlborough in Bloom is holding a talk on 9 June with local beekeeper and bee expert, Claire Barker who runs Hive Originals in Devizes.  As a change of career, Claire turned to her love of bees and set up a brand of natural skincare products using the honey and beeswax from her own, local hives.

Marlborough’s WI branch will be holding a cake sale outside Lloyds Bank on Marlborough High Street on 26 June, with the baking based on honey and bees.

New this year are the 14 local and very different groups entering the Royal Horticultural Society’s It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign.  This non-competitive scheme aims to encourage volunteers to revamp and improve the areas they live in.  This pride in place, with old and young working together to achieve a greener, cleaner town, has a knock-on, positive effect on the local economy and tourism.

Diana Cooper, Marlborough in Bloom committee member, said: “We are delighted by the enthusiastic response from businesses in the High Street and the community in general, which will encourage our efforts to wow the judges when they visit Marlborough in July.”

Marlborough in Bloom is always looking for extra volunteers to help with making Marlborough look its blooming best and anyone able to assist should contact the Marlborough in Bloom committee chairman, Anne Crawley, on 01672 512317, or e-mail:  anne@unicorn9.plus.com  Every bit of assistance will go towards making Marlborough’s 2016 effort stronger and more successful.

Marlborough in Bloom would like to thank all its sponsors, especially lead sponsor, Brewin Dolphin, as well as all its other generous sponsors, partners and supporters for their endorsement in 2016.