This year’s South West In Bloom presentation is set to take place on Wednesday 8th October at The Riviera Centre, Torquay. A civic event for Mayors and Dignitaries from the South West will be held the evening before, and the Mayor of Truro, Cllr Christopher Wells, will be in attendance.
Truro is competing this year in the Champion of Champions category, which includes all the group winners from 2024 hoping to become the overall South West regional champion. In 2024, Truro was awarded the Portman Cup and won the regional Large Town category.
The city was visited this year by the RHS South West judges Jon Wheatley, Chairman of South West in Bloom, and Melissa Poole, who visited Truro on the 26th July.
The judges began their visit at Boscawen Park, where they met the park staff. On the tour, they visited the Friends of Sunny Corner; Tregolls Manor, to meet Michael Sanders who maintains the communal gardens; and the Friends of Fairmantle St, who maintain the sustainable border.
Afterwards, they went to the top of Lemon Street to view the communal vegetable bed, where the local community are encouraged to harvest the available fruit and vegetables.
The judges were greeted by our Town Crier, Lionel Knight, and his wife, Carol. Following Lionel’s loud welcome, they walked along Lower Lemon Street to view all the wonderful shop window displays arranged by the Truro in Bloom Committee members, Peggy and Carla. They also visited one of the winning displays at the Visit Truro Visitor Information Centre on Boscawen Street. Further along the street, they met Alun Jones and Sian Knight from Truro BID, who explained their efforts in supporting Truro and Truro City Council’s Parks Department to achieve floral displays throughout the city centre.
The next stop was Truro Cathedral, where they were met by the Biffa team, who work hard to keep our streets clean.
After a mid-morning break, the Mayor of Truro, Councillor Christopher Wells, invited the guests into the Mayor’s Parlour, where they enjoyed refreshments whilst watching the Benefits of Bloom film and looked through the portfolio produced by Chris Walters, the Truro in Bloom social media representative.
Post-refreshments, the judges visited Daubuz Moors, where they met the Friends of Daubuz Moor and Truro City Council’s Countryside Rangers, along with volunteers working in the area.
The tour concluded with a trip to Victoria Gardens, which left a lasting impression on the judges. Initial feedback indicated that the floral displays and maintenance were outstanding. The Truro in Bloom Committee provided refreshments and food for everyone to enjoy after a busy day.
Truro is up against some very strong competition this year, with former Champion of Champions category winners Exmouth and Sidmouth in the same category, along with Torquay, who is representing the South West in the National Britain in Bloom finals this year.
The Truro in Bloom Committee is hopeful of achieving a Gold Award once again this year. Representatives from the Committee, along with the Mayor and staff from Truro City Council’s Parks Department, will be attending the event in Torquay.
Good luck, Truro!