The Mayor presenting a cheque to in bloom volunteers

£1k boost to Knutsford In Bloom

A group that works in partnership with Knutsford Town Council to ensure Knutsford blooms has received a grant of £1,060 to continue its work.

Knutsford in Bloom is a small group of volunteers who maintain a number of flower beds and planters in the town centre, such as at the railway station, along Princess Street and in front of the Curzon. The group works in partnership with Knutsford Town Council to co-deliver the town’s floriculture efforts which have seen Knutsford awarded “Gold” in the North West in Bloom competition since 2017.

Chair of Knutsford in Bloom, Barry Tilby said “We are grateful for the continued support from Knutsford Town Council. This annual grant allows us to purchase plants in order to help make the town a desirable place to live, visit and work”

“We are always looking for support so if you can spare some time, you will be made to feel very welcome”.

Knutsford in Bloom volunteers have a dedicated area they each maintain or support the maintenance of – more volunteers can enable them to expand their remit. If you are interested in volunteering with Knutsford in Bloom contact Barry at barrytilby@hotmail.co.uk

Knutsford Town Council is further supporting the group’s work by replacing a number of planters outside Curzon, which are maintained by Knutsford in Bloom.

Town Mayor Cllr Peter Coan said “The volunteers at Knutsford in Bloom do a cracking job making the town centre brighter and blooming. We couldn’t deliver our floriculture service without them so we’re delighted to fund the group’s work” 

Town Mayor holding an umbrella presenting a certificate to Jackie Edwards who has won the competition

Front Garden Competition 2021 Winners

The winners are in for Knutsford Town Council’s annual Front Garden Competition and, the children’s competition for best decorated Plant Pot!

The annual summer competition is part of the town’s wider ‘In Bloom’ efforts which have seen Knutsford awarded Gold in the Northwest in Bloom competition since 2016. Residents were encouraged to nominate front gardens worthy of recognition – whether their own, a neighbour’s or a stranger’s.

This year the competition was extended to include children and young people with their own competition for the Best Plant Pot, encouraging them to decorate their own pot and choose what to plant in it. The competition was sponsored by T & S Riley Nursery and Fryers Garden Centre.

A judging panel of the Town Mayor, Chair of Knutsford in Bloom and representatives of the sponsors met to review the entries and were set the hard task of choosing the winners.

 “It was a pleasure to be involved with the competition and I feel we came to a good decision with regard to the placements” said Sandra Riley of T & S Riley.

Tania Simpson, General Manager of Fryers added “On behalf of Fryers, Blue Diamond we are very pleased to be involved and supporting our local community, Knutsford, with judging such a relative and creative competition, so thank you for involving us.”

The winner of the 2021 Front Garden competition was Jackie Edwards of Grove Park who was awarded £100 of gardening vouchers from the sponsors, 2nd place went to George Walton of Blackhill Lane who received £80 of vouchers with 3rd place went to David Coppack & Madelin Brooks of Chelford Road who have £60 of vouchers to spend.

Town Mayor presents a certificate
George Walton, 2nd Place
Town Mayor with the 3rd place winners in a garden
David and Madelin Brooks, 3rd Place

Town Mayor, Cllr Stewart Gardiner said: “I was very impressed by the high standard of green fingered talent that we have in the town and the artistic quality of the garden competition entries. It was a tough decision to choose the 3 winners, they really did extremely well.  I would like to thank our sponsors Fryers Garden Centre and T & S Riley for their contribution to the judging and providing the prizes for our winners and I was pleased to meet the recipients to award their certificates and prizes.”

There were five winners in the Best Plant Pot Competition, with a £20 voucher being awarded to Edward, Ebony, Mya and Oscar Howard and Eliza Buxton.

Town Mayor with a group of children holding plant pots
The Howard Family
Town Mayor holding an umbrella with the manager of Fryers also holding an umbrella presenting a certificate to a child in its mother's arms stood in a doorway
Eliza Buxton

“The children’s entries were inspiring, and I hope that their contribution to the competition will continue to encourage their love of gardening.” Cllr Gardiner added.

A sculpture of King Canute in the council office gardens, with a tree

Nominate a Garden for the 2021 Front Garden Competition

Knutsford is starting to bloom with the RHS Tatton Flower Show in town in July, floral shop window displays planned and an upcoming visit from the Northwest in Bloom Competition judges. Knutsford Town Council is now inviting residents to get involved further by nominating gardens for the 2021 Knutsford Front Garden Competition and under 16’s to enter their own competition for the Best Plant Pot.

The Front Garden Competition encourages residents to get involved with the In Bloom campaign and either show off their own beautiful front gardens or to nominate a neighbour or a garden they have seen around town. Under 16’s this year are being encouraged to show their creativity too by decorating a garden pot and choosing what goes inside.

The front garden competition is open to any garden which is on view from the road, and anything can be nominated from window boxes to large, landscaped gardens. Residents are encouraged to take a photo of their favourite Knutsford front gardens and enter them into the competition by emailing the picture to the council. Residents can nominate their own gardens, a neighbour’s garden, or a garden that they have passed by around town.

The Best Plant Pot competition is open to anyone under the age of 16 in Knutsford. Allow your gardening creativity to run free in your choice of how you decorate your plant pot and what goes inside. Perhaps it is the colour of the plant you particularly like, or the smell of the herb, a plant that will attract bees or a seed you have grown. Take a photograph and email us with your name to show us what you can create.

This year’s competition is sponsored by T&S Riley Nursery on Sudlow Lane and Fryers Garden Centre on Manchester Road who will be providing prizes for three winners. The competition will be judged by the Town Mayor with a representative from Knutsford in Bloom, T & S Riley and Fryers.

“Whether you’re proud of your own garden, think your neighbour’s efforts have been paying off or you are a young person who can create an eye catching plant pot display, all you need to do is send us a picture to enter it – it’s a fun, local competition focused on recognising that nature spaces brighten people’s days” said Knutsford Town Clerk, Adam Keppel-Green.

The competition opens on Monday 21st June and will be open for three weeks until Friday 16th July. To enter just send a photograph and the address of the garden to jill.webb@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk. You can enter as many gardens & pots as you like and can also submit entry photographs in person to the Council Offices on Toft Road.