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Ladies and Gentleman,

It’s that time of year! For anyone that has strolled through Kings Heath and Highbury Parks lately – you will have seen the fast changing scenery and colours.

But today something caught my eye on the Community Notice Boards; Kings Heath Park TV Garden Opening for 2010.

The TV Gardens will be open from 1-30pm to 4-30pm on the following days;

Sunday April 18th

Sunday May 16th

Sunday June 20th

Sunday July 19th (Kings Heath Festival)

Sunday August 15th

Sunday September 19th

Sunday October 17th

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

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This Sunday (16th November) saw the start of the series Wars of the Roses on BBC Radio 4 – and guess who’s got a mention! Yes that’s right, Moseley in Bloom!

Presenter Wesley Kerr has been visiting communities all over the country to see how they have battled to do their best at raising horticultural standards, beautifying their local environments and winning medals.

In the first programme Wesley meets up with our very own Stephanie Silk from Moseley in Bloom as well as other bloomers and judges from Britain in Bloom to offer their tips on who to get that aought after gold medal.

Wars of the Roses will was aired on Sunday at 14:45 – straight after Gardeners Question Time. If you missed it, you can catch it on BBC Iplayer here.

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On Tuesday 30th October, the winners were announced! Yes – the Moseley in Bloom Local Business Awards 2008 took place at the Fighting Cocks in the centre of Moseley.

Moseley in Bloom started the awards to help promote local businnesses within Moseley to take an interest in their local community.

Entrants are judged on their horticultural display and the cleanliness of their forecourts or front gardens. Standards and presentation were assessed by a team of Judges who are independant to Moseley in Bloom.

So, for the winners….
Star Shop:

Moseley Emporium
Moseley Emporium have once again put a large amount of effort into the planting and care of their colourful and abundant displays. The planting makes a super splash of colour.

Special Mention: Nima
The owners of Nima continue to show their commitment to bringing colour and cleanliness to Victoria Parade.
Top Takeaway

Not awarded
Rosiest Restaurant:

Kababish

A consistent effort. Kababish’s abundant planting and vibrant colours “smack you in the eye straight away”. A really creative use of planting on the forecourt of the restaurant.

Special Mention: Ponte di Legno
Lovely planting and great continued community involvement in the re-landscaping of the car park.
Most Blooming Boozer:

Overall the panel were very impressed by the commitment shown by all the pub: their displays, whether by the individual landlords/landladies or by the breweries have made a significant contribution to enhancing Moseley.

The Prince of Wales
The Landlord and Landlady have made a huge effort in a difficult area with planting that shows flair and partners well with the displays at Moseley Emporium. Their commitment to the new Business Recycling Programme has also made an important contribution to Moseley becoming more sustainable.

Special Mentions:
The Junction: An excellent and colourful addition to Moseley in a high profile position.
The Patrick Kavanagh: Innovative and colourful planting on a difficult frontage.
Most Floral Faith Group:

St Columba
Planted with vision: a colourful and well-planned mix of annual and perennial planting. St Columba is an oasis and continues to show an exceptionally high standard of care and maintenance that can be appreciated and enjoyed by the whole community.

Special Mention: St Anne’s
The Peace Garden oozes with community spirit and is an important contribution to Moseley’s spiritual life. It will become even more of a haven as the planting matures.
Most Inspired Institution:

Woodbridge Road Police Station
The continued permanent planting projects at the Station show real commitment to the community. The new calming planting in the centre bed works very well with the splashes of annual colour and makes the building feel more accessible, bringing the Police Station into the heart of the Village.
Most Blossoming Business:

Fivelands Vets
The Vets have used containers and a long overgrown raised bed to bring some colour to their forecourt. They have made a great start in carving out a welcoming entrance and have shown effort and vision to lighten up a difficult area.

Special Mentions
Birmingham Traditional Acupuncture: continue to show commitment with their colourful containers and well-maintained shrub bed.
Midland Tuning: The judges were impressed by their hanging baskets – an innovative solution introducing colour and care to an otherwise difficult frontage.
Most Flourishing Front Garden:

9 Church Avenue: The epitome of an English country garden in the middle of the city. The pretty planting and inviting seating area made the judges want to sit down with a glass of wine (even at 11am!).

Special Mentions:
33 Chantry Road, 53 and 55 Chantry Road, 11 Laburnum Grove, 30 Woodbridge Road, 5 Stanley Place, 224 Alcester Road and 15-19 Dowells Close.

Special Achievement Award:

LAGRAG: An amazing effort again. The Laburnum Grove Residents have worked tirelessly on displays for many of the businesses and residential frontages in Woodbridge Road. Their hard work on the new Police Station beds has completely transformed that area. The Group have shown a real and continued commitment and devotion to making Woodbridge Road an attractive and welcoming environment.

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Moseley in Bloom has won a Silver Gilt Award at the Britain in Bloom Awards on 24th September – a fantastic achievement since it was the first year we have entered the finals!

Moseley in Bloom was entered in the urban category, where Clifton Village, Bristol also won Silver Gilt but pipped Moseley to the post by winning the category.

Moseley began to bloom just three years ago in the Heart of England in Bloom campaign. It has won Silver Gilt Awards two years running in the Heart of England awards and last year, as overall winner in the Urban Communities category was nominated as national finalists for 2008.

More details of winners can be found on the RHS Britain in Bloom website.

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We did it, we did it! After four years of hard work and high hopes Moseley in Bloom has won a Gold Award. It’s the first time that Gold has been awarded to a competitor in the Urban Communities category and we came top in that category for the second year running.The awards for Heart of England in Bloom 2008 were announced last week at a ceremony in Burton on Trent. 300 delegates from cities, towns and villages across the Midlands were on the edge of their seats waiting for their results. There were 51 contenders in the main campaign and 58 new entrants in the Neighbourhood Awards for small groups taking the initial steps towards community improvements. We were elated to hear our result and see Chair Natalie Higgins presented with the trophy by Sir William Lawrence OBE Bt.

The good news was whizzed around Moseley via email and phone producing delighted responses and congratulation from around the community: from those who had been actively involved themselves and from those who simply appreciated how much better Moseley looks since the Bloomers got to work.

The Judge’s report was very complimentary and commended Moseley in Bloom for achieving so many improvements in such a short time since entering the Neighbourhood Awards in 2005: they highlighted the high standard of the Village Green, the improvements outside the Police Station, the tree planting programme, the re-cycling schemes, the lack of litter and graffiti and the high standard of street furniture maintenance, the Open Gardens Weekends and the enthusiasm from all of the community.

We began to bloom in the Heart of England in Bloom main campaign just three years ago winning Silver Gilt Awards two years running and last year, as winner in the Urban Communities category nominated as national finalists Britain in Bloom for 2008.

Chair Natalie Higgins, who had the original idea for Moseley in Bloom was rewarded with a personal award for Outstanding Achievement having shown “flair, commitment and doggedness in steering Moseley Village through these exciting times, even managing to plant trees where no-one thought possible.”

MIB Committee member Deborah Taylor competing for the first time in the Neighbourhood Awards was presented with a Merit Award for the transformation of an old overgrown allotment at Moseley Tennis Club into a Community Orchard.

Clutching our Awards we posed for pictures, first with our Judge, Graham Redfern and then with the other Brummie Bloomers as we discussed our floral future and the potential for networking and group action.

We’re planning a major celebration at the Fighting Cocks in Moseley at the end of the month but there’s one last hurdle: on Wednesday we travel to Chester Racecourse to hear our national Britain in Bloom results. If this was the Blooming Olympics we might get another Gold…?

Stephanie Silk

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Moseley in Bloom won a Gold Award at the Heart of England in Bloom Awards
Ceremony held at Burton on Trent on 11th September. It was also named as the Category Winner in the Urban Communities category.

Moseley began to bloom just three years ago in the Heart of England in Bloom campaign. It has won Silver Gilt Awards two years running and last year, as overall winner in the Urban Communities category was nominated as national finalists for 2008.

Chair Natalie Higgins was rewarded with a personal award for Outstanding Achievement having shown “flair, commitment and doggedness in steering Moseley Village through these exciting times, even managing to plant trees where no-one thought possible.”

MIB Committee member Deborah Taylor was presented with a Merit Award for the Moseley Tennis Club Community Orchard project, competing for the first time in the Neighbourhood Awards.

The Ceremonies were compered by TV gardener Christine Walkden and the Awards were presented by Sir William Lawrence OBE Bt. You can read the judges comments

here

The National results will be announced in Chester on September 24th 2008.

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Done and dusted…the Britain in Bloom Judges have departed and Moseley was indeed all but dusted in their honour! As first time national finalists, we put on our very best show to represent not only Moseley but Birmingham and the whole Heart of England in Bloom region.Last month’s visit by the regional judges was an excellent dress rehearsal, so with military precision, we unfurled our customised umbrellas and planned a similar itinerary, right down to the weather which once more was wet and miserable.

There were sterling efforts from council workers and from Moseley volunteers who turned out for the familiar last minute clean-ups – sweeping, weeding and litter-picking. After a final weekend of frantic activity the pavements were immaculate and the gutters gleamed and glistened in the rain. Judgement Day stress levels rose early: it was Bins Day, but our special arrangement for an earlier collection backfired when residents kept putting rubbish out after the collection lorry had been and gone – Bloomers were madly dragging the bags back out of sight – note for next year – we must mail shot all the residents. A can of paint fell off a truck at the traffic lights instantly creating ugly white stripes as vehicles wheeled through it; fortunately it proved to be emulsion paint and was soon washed away by the rain. An early-morning inebriate was spotted falling out of doorways on the High Street and was propped up against a bus shelter and exhorted to ‘Be Upstanding for the Judge’

The judges, luminaries of the RHS, with glittering horticultural careers in both the commercial and local authority sectors, spend a month touring round the national Britain in Bloom finalists. We are assessed in 5 sections in the Urban Communities category: A. Floral Displays, B. Permanent Landscaping and Permanent Planting, C. The Environment and Sustainable Development, D. Local Environmental Quality and Cleanliness, E. Public Awareness. Marks are awarded for community involvement in each section.

The judges were collected from their hotel first thing by Jenny Brewer, Bloomer in charge of floral displays, to rendezvous with MIB Chair Natalie Higgins. Natalie escorted them throughout their 2½ hour walkabout pointing out the horticultural highlights and introducing them to some of the people who have worked so hard to make Moseley in Bloom a success.

First in line were the Guerrilla Gardeners, Laburnum Grove Branch, led by Leaf-tenant Val Patchell and Privet Brendan Patchell who have transformed the environment of Woodbridge Road. Val reached out to catch some flying litter to discover it was a five pound note! Perhaps it was a lucky omen because with perfect timing, just as the judges were being shown the new landscaping project at the Police Station, a gentleman rushed up to Natalie saying it didn’t matter about the competition, because Moseley looked better than he had ever seen it. The judges were impressed and boxes were ticked.

The judges who had been able to study our Portfolio for a month, asked questions, said little, made notes and took pictures, including one of the large wall mounted barometer outside The Fighting Cocks which was accurately reading midway between rainy and stormy. Despite the weather, Moseley looked fantastic – the floral displays around the Village Green, the maturing flowerbed by the Superloo, the new street trees and the garden restoration at the Dovecote. They were clearly impressed by Moseley’s hidden treasure, Moseley Park and Pool – an un-manicured tract of nature tucked away behind the High Street. At the very moment they were admiring the view, a heron landed right on cue and posed majestically on the new pump in the middle of the lake.

All too soon it was over and we handed over to the Town Clerk of Bridgnorth who arrived to transport them for their afternoon judging session. Bloomers reconvened the following day at the Prince of Wales not to discuss the new business recycling scheme but to share a convivial drink and look forward to a little relaxation and enjoyment, watching a thousand flowers bloom for the rest of the summer while we wait until September for the judges to reveal our floral fate.

Stephanie Silk

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Well it was judgement day today with the National judging for the Britain in Bloom competition and once again, the Moseley in Bloom team scrubbed up well!

It’s out first time that we have been entered for the National Finals and it’s certainly been an experience!

The judges were collected from their hotel first thing by Jenny Brewer, Bloomer in charge of floral displays, to rendezvous with Moseley In Bloom Chair Natalie Higgins.

Natalie then escorted them throughout their 2½ hour walkabout pointing out the horticultural highlights and introducing them to some of the people who have worked so hard to make Moseley in Bloom a success.

Now we have to wait until the announcements in September to see how we have faired.

Watch this space to find out the result as well as what is to come in the next few months. The Blooming preparation will about to start again!

For more information or if you would like to get involved with Moseley in Bloom, contact Natalie Higgins on nat@moseleyinbloom.org.uk

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A wet Wednesday in July, more Moseley in Gloom than Moseley in Bloom as we waited, umbrellas at the ready, for the arrival of the judges from the Heart of England in Bloom.We had experienced a week of frenzied activity to maximise Moseley’s chances: Chair, Natalie Higgins had organised rotas of volunteers to litter pick, weed pavements, corners and crevices, re-gravel tree grilles, dead head floral displays and give the Village Green its annual mulch and a feed of turkey manure. Moseley Round Table turned out to spruce up the Dovecote gardens, a team from the Riverside Church painted the fence in the car park a fetching shade of forest green and Jenny Brewer replaced geraniums stolen from our baskets and window boxes. Councillor Martin Mullaney ensured that the City Council delivered all the services required for a complete municipal makeover; graffiti was removed (again!) street name signs and cable boxes were re-painted, basal growth was trimmed from trees, mechanical sweepers patrolled the streets, pavements were jet blasted and Centro scrubbed the bus shelters. It was a symphony of civic teamwork.

There were some last minute dramas: a litter bin was wrenched off its fixing on the High Street and the flower tower – a 3 tier flower planter, was pushed over by some mindless Friday night drunks and had to be rebuilt, replanted and resuscitated. An unknown artist painted the word “Cocaine” in huge letters on a development site on the main road which was speedily painted over by volunteer Steve Jolly. A delivery lorry totally smashed a floral container outside the Kababish Restaurant. This was yet another case for the Laburnum Grove Residents Action Group who had created not only this display but others for two more restaurants, the Police Station and Lloyds TSB. They couldn’t find a replacement container to match and as it was bolted to the ground they had to piece it back together like a jigsaw, glue it and replant it the next day. I meanwhile was welded to my computer, completing the Portfolio, an illustrated account of our year round activities, to hand to the Judges on their arrival.

Despite the rain Moseley looked fantastic. The pavements were pristine and the flowers abundant. The judges walked the 2½ hour route from one end of the Village to the other resplendent in waterproofs, wellies and matching Moseley in Bloom umbrellas. On the way they were introduced to some of the people who have helped us make Moseley in Bloom so successful and giving little away, they made notes on their marking sheets. There was a coffee stop with presentations and an exhibition of floral art and organic ceramics by Queensbridge secondary school. King David’s School with its gardening club and the display outside St John’s and St Monica’s made a positive impact – and schools involvement was one of the areas we were given a ‘could do better’ two years ago.

There was one amusing but excruciating incident when the tallest judge spotted a discarded coke can in a hanging basket by the bus stop and handed it to Natalie, doubtless for recycling. They seemed impressed with the progress we have made over the last few years and were particularly interested in the Dovecote, Moseley Park and the transformation at the Police Station. They also commented favourably on the tree planting programme and the new business recycling scheme.

Having overrun the schedule somewhat we adjourned for an informal lunch at the Fighting Cocks. This was an opportunity for us to get advice on what we need to do for the National Britain in Bloom judges who are making their first visit on August 5th. Apart from making sure there is absolutely no graffiti or fly posting, and keeping to our allotted time, our main dilemma, we were told, will be how we fit everything in – and they are kindly going to give us some more feedback to help us do just that. Their parting comment was “don’t forget, you are not just representing Moseley, or even Birmingham, but the whole of the Region” – no pressure then…

Stephanie Silk