Gipsy Lane residents are developing a new community garden space supported by Wokingham in Bloom. They plan to turn an unsightly grass verge into a beautiful shrub and flower bed with seasonal interest all year round. Vehicles will also be blocked from parking illegally on the site. You can follow progress on their new blog https://gipsylanecommunitygarden.wordpress.com/ and if you live nearby why not get involved!
If you are passing Corfield Green (opposite Emmbrook Village Hall) do admire the garden created by children from Emmbrook Infant and Junior Schools. Over several months these beds were created, fed, planted, mulched and watered. A lovely splash of colour by the old tree. The spring bulbs the children planted produced a vibrant floral display – this summer planting promises to be even better.
Special thanks to Chris Mallett, Emmbrook resident, who saw the possibilities and with the help of the children made it happen. Thanks also to Peter Baveystock and Bev Warman, Wokingham Borough Council, for their ongoing support and encouragement. 
Brilliant support from over 60 people on Saturday 5th November 2016, planting 4,000 purple crocus bulbs in the grass by St. Crispin’s School. Wokingham in Bloom was delighted to be able to support Rotary International’s Purple4Polio campaign.
Many thanks to scouts, cubs and beavers from 4th Wokingham, Wokingham Rotary Club, Club41 Wokingham, local Norreys residents, town councillors and members of Christ Church, Wokingham for turning out on a very cold morning. Look out for coverage in the Wokingham News this week.
Especial thanks to Mike and Paul and their team from ISS, the Borough Council’s grounds maintenance contractor who not only made all the planting holes but very kindly donated 2,000 of the bulbs planted on Saturday and played a full part on the morning.
Pauline and Rachael from Wokingham Horticultural Association spent a happy hour planting crocuses at Dingley School on Wednesday 20th October. The crocuses are purple in support of Rotary International’s Purple4Polio campaign. Follow the link for more information about this vital work.
Many thanks to both Pauline and Rachael for this. The children will have some pretty spring flowers to look at next year.
One day last week another small area of Oaklands Drive was planted with a flowering cherry tree and some shrubs. Many thanks to Carole, Bob, Gerry and Ann for undertaking this.
Children and helpers from Walter Infants School have been busy planting purple crocuses. This is in support of Rotary Club International’s campaign to immunize vulnerable populations in Afghanistan and Pakistan against polio. When someone has been immunized their finger is dipped in a purple dye to indicate same. Hence the Purple4Polio campaign.
Great fun was had by the children on a sunny afternoon. 
Many thanks to Sue and Pauline for undertaking Bloom’s initial crocus planting in autumn 2016. We have linked with Rotary Club International to support it’s Purple 4 Polio campaign. Some of the 5,000 crocus corms purchased via Rotary have been planted in the beds on South Place over the weekend. Sue and Pauline thank a neighbour, Karen, for the cups of tea! South Place should be awash with purple crocuses in spring 2017. News of more crocus planting will follow over the coming weeks.
Good morning everyone,
A long but rewarding day in St. Mary’s Church, Old Amersham yesterday.
The bones are….. for Thames and Chilterns in Bloom: Silver Gilt award 84% (83% last year). Judges comments all very positive and include….” Wokingham in Bloom is a true catalyst, bringing the community together, instilling pride of place and making Wokingham a better place, keep up the good work as gold is not far away”.
Amersham won the large town category as last year. It is the only representative of the region in the 2016 national finals, judged in the next few weeks. Good luck to Amersham!
…..for the It’s Your Neighbourhood awards: 
Incredible Edible: thriving
Pavilions Border: thriving
Wokingham Library project: thriving
Cockpit Path community garden: outstanding
Our IYN schemes scored consistently higher than the vast majority of others.
The assessed levels are:
1) establishing
2) improving
3) advancing
4) thriving
5) outstanding
Of the 60+ ITN schemes across Thames and Chilterns I believe only three achieved outstanding. In addition the community garden group received a National Certificate of Distinction for 2016 from the Royal Horticultural Society. Also Hawthorns School received a ‘highly commended’ award in the Mark Mattock Schools’ Challenge. Bloom was nominated for a regional award for community involvement but was pipped at the post by Amersham. I have attached the judges and assessors remarks and scores for your perusal (I don’t have same for Pavilions Border).
Overall the hard work and commitment of all the volunteers has been properly recognised for both Bloom and IYN.
Please share this good news as widely as you can.
Back of library
Experienced Thames and Chilterns in Bloom judges Kate Dagnall and Paul Almond were taken around the town between 10:30 and 1:15pm by the chairman of the Bloom steering group Tony Hewetson and Town Clerk Mrs Jan Nowecki. They talked to many Bloom volunteers as they visited among other locations Rose Street, South Place, the library, Latimer Road allotments, St. Paul’s churchyard, Holt Copse, Woosehill Meadows pond and Hawthorns school.
Whilst we won’t find out the result until 15th September it is fair to say that the judges were given more than a flavour of the work carried out by the volunteers over the past year.
The tour ended with lunch hosted by Rose Street Methodist Church where they saw an exhibition of photographs documenting the Bloom year. These photos were taken by members of Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club led by Roger Holdsworth.
Thames and Chilterns in Bloom judges Kate Dagnall and Paul Almond
Photographs taken by members of the Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club of several Wokingham in Bloom gardening and horticultural projects are currently on display at the Aroma Cafe on Denmark Street. Do check this out.
From 22nd to 24th August a larger exhibition of the Bloom photographs shown to the Thames and Chilterns in Bloom judges will be held in the Town Hall, Market Place.
Many thanks to John Gilbert for repainting the empty beehive. This annual feature of Wokingham in Bloom’s entry into Thames and Chilterns in Bloom was kindly put on Woosehill roundabout by Jenny and Ann over the weekend. Jenny is modelling the Bloom hi-viz tunic!
Wokingham Town Council, in conjunction with Wokingham Horticultural Association, is supporting national allotments week by opening up its four allotment sites on Saturday 13th August. If you live within the town of Wokingham and are thinking of renting an allotment plot do come and look around. There are a number of stalls, activities and refreshments at Ormonde Road. The poster has more details or don’t hesitate to contact the Town Council’s Amenities Officer.
Many, many thanks to Jenny and Ann, willing Wokingham in Bloom volunteers for the new planting by The Raglan on Denmark Street. Stan, another stalwart Bloom volunteer constructed the planter and filled it with topsoil. Jenny and Ann created the lovely floral display. Ann photographed the work in progress and the finished planter. Something else for the Thames and Chilterns in Bloom judges to see on 21st July.
Tools and plants at the ready
Planted by Jenny and Ann, Sunday 26th June
The older and the newer Raglan planters
‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ assessors visited the Pavilions Border garden off Wellington Road and the revamped library entrance on Denmark Street yesterday. They were very impressed with what they saw. Gerry and Ann and the Rose Street Gardeners from the Methodist Church have worked tirelessly to create and establish the Pavilions Border since 2013. It was a wilderness, now it’s a source of pleasure for the scores of people who walk that way each day.
Pavilions Border
The library planting is new for 2016. Alan, Linda, Morag, Mary and Bill, with help from many others, have turned a lacklustre shrubby area into a vibrant space and colourful.
The assessors will report on their visit in September. Our fingers are crossed and details will follow.
Many thanks to Elizabeth McDonald at Wokingham Library for arranging this excellent display of gardening books – complete with splendid artwork by local children. More details about these books can be found on the library blog
Books for Wokingham in Bloom at the library
These books are a small selection from Wokingham library’s gardening books range.
Starting at Rose Street Methodist Church at 10:30am the two experienced Bloom judges will be taken around 11 of the projects Bloom volunteers have been working hard on all year. The tour will last around 3 hours and will culminate in a presentation and a small lunch at the Bradbury Centre. At each stop on the tour volunteers will describe what their efforts have achieved in 2016. There is much to tell and not a lot of time so the tour will very much be ‘whistlestop’! The route is:
It is a cliche but the eyes of the two judges are everywhere even if what they see is on the ‘official’ route. If your house is on the route between stops anything you can do to brighten up your frontage would be very much appreciated. Wokingham in Bloom has been delighted to receive Silver Gilt awards in 2013, 2014, 2015. We are going for Gold in 2016. It’s a big ask but with our focus on the immediate town centre we are hopeful of improving on 2015’s 83% mark. If you would like to help W in B please contact the Town Council’s Amenities Officer on 0118 974 0886. It really is the more the merrier.
PS: efforts to tackle much of the graffiti which is besmirching buildings and walls in the town centre will begin week commencing 13th June.
Since the turn of the year members of Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club have been photographing some of Wokingham in Bloom’s 2016 projects. Some of the photographs can been seen via this Flickr link.
Wokingham in Bloom is extremely grateful to Roger Holdsworth of W&EBCC for his leadership with this. Selected photographs will form part of an exhibition for the Thames and Chilterns in Bloom judges on Thursday 21st July. More details on the Wokingham in Bloom website.
Rose Street wall
Early this morning Windowflowers placed six troughs atop the Rose Street wall running from the jewellers to the rose bed. These have been planted with red, white and blue flowers. The four planters on Broad Street and the triple planter by the library have also been planted.
Trough on Broad Street traffic island
The same plants are filling the 130 hanging flower baskets around the town centre. Many thanks to the Wokingham in Bloom volunteer who constructed the planter and the very kind sponsorship of Mr & Mrs Bowyer. A few rays of sun will see them at their blooming best!
Starting at 4am this morning Windowflowers replaced the winter baskets with summer planted ones. These will soon be heavy with red, white and blue flowers to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday. The intrepid basket installers completed the task in two and a half hours. Then away for a well-earned bacon roll.
The six planters on Broad Street and the triple planter by the library will be decked out later in the week. Many thanks to Ann for her very early start to take the photo!
