Stony in Bloom News
28 July 2010
RHS Judges come to Stony Stratford
Stony in Bloom volunteers were up early making sure that everything was at its best for the judges’ visit. It was good to see the council’s street cleaners out in force as well, making sure that the town was looking tidy and neat. The weather was kind to us,too, and the judges seemed very impressed with what they were shown. Now we have to wait until 28 September to learn whether we have improved on last year’s impressive result.
Here is the route the judges took:
The numbered points along the route are:
- ‘Bluebell Wood’ at the end of London Road outside the Children's Centre
- Queen Eleanor School, Galley Hill
- Bellwhether, Fullers Slade
- King George’s Crescent and St Mary & St Giles School
- Fegans Court
- Ancell Trust Sports Ground
- Mill Field
- Market Square
- Odell’s Yard
26 July 2010
1st Stony Stratford Brownies participate in Stony in Bloom
The 1st Stony Stratford Brownies have been participating in Stony in Bloom by planting seeds and growing the plants on until they were ready to be planted out. Liz Wickersham, their Guider, writes:
1st Stony Stratford Brownies had lots of fun when they participated in ‘Stony in Bloom’ for the second year running. The girls not only learnt about planting and nurturing seeds, but also about pride in their community and community spirit.
Golden Garden Award presentations
Prizes were presented to the winners and runners up in the recent Golden Front Gardens Awards.
Among the equal first prize winners, the owner of 6 Bennet Close receives her prize and certificate from Judy Deveson, Chair of the Stony in Bloom group.
Joint second prize winners were Margaret and Gerard Rowland of 10 Bennet Close and Daphne and Bruce Messenger of 137 Milford Avenue.
Joint third prize winners were Kim Spratt and Linda Davis of 13 and 14 Bellwether, Fullers Slade.
Here is a complete list of all the winning gardens:
1st prize (3 winners)
- 6 Bennet Close
- 11 Essenden Court
- 56 Ousebank Way
2nd prize (3 winners)
- 10 Bennet Close
- 137 Milford Avenue
- 87 Wolverton Road
3rd prize (2 winners)
- 13 Bellwether
- 14 Bellwether
25 July 2010
Fullers Slade Fun Day
Among the many activities on offer at the Fullers Slade Fun Day on Sunday, 25 July, children were invited
to take part in a Stony in Bloom ‘Design a Garden’ competition. There was no shortage of budding garden designers ready to let their imaginations blossom into creative designs.
14 July 2010
Golden Front Gardens competition
Twenty-three gardens were entered for the Golden Front Gardens Award and judging took place on Wednesday, 14 July. Here is what the judges had to say:
We judged the front gardens against a set of five criteria, including design and use of space through to standard of maintenance. The points were then totalled and we found we had three equal winners. Although each was completely different from the others in design and size, the winners all scored very highly on maintenance and also on their impact on the street around them.
These are the winning gardens:
56 Ousebank Way
A medium sized garden, this was immaculately kept – in fact the owner was working on it when we arrived! The design showed a good use of a large variety of plants and also a range of hard landscaping features.
6 Bennet Close
This was a relatively small space, but well designed using a variety of hard landscaping and containers. It was beautifully kept and with the variety of bright plants made a significant impact on its surroundings.
11 Essenden Court
Also a relatively small space, but well designed with a very large variety of plants seen at their best. A clever use of plants of different heights made best use of the space and had a huge impact on the surrounding street.
All the gardens we saw have their own charm and add considerably to the environment of Stony Stratford, and we thank the owners for the opportunity to spend a very pleasant afternoon looking into their gardens!
Prizes for the Golden Front Gardens Awards were kindly sponsored by Roman Way Garden Centre, Potterspury.
21 June 2010
Brownies plant flower beds at Queen Eleanor School
Queen Eleanor Brownies and Guides were busy planting the flower beds at the entrance to Queen Eleanor School on Galley Hill.
Earlier in the Spring, Stony in Bloom supplied the Brownies with cornflower and marigold seeds, which the Brownies planted and took home to water and to watch them grow.
In June, Milton Keynes Council rotavated the ground, and on 21 June 2010 Stony in Bloom volunteers helped the Brownies and Guides to plant the seedlings in the bed. Stony in Bloom also provided additional perennials, which they had bought with funds raised at the York House plant sale.
Where possible plants have been chosen to reflect the Brownies’ colours: blue and gold. Perennial plants include: Phormium, Ceanothus, Winter-flowering jasmine, broom, Blue Geraniums, yellow knifophia (‘red hot poker’) and Asters.
12 May 2010
Bluebell Wood Party
There’s always something special about a deep blue sea of bluebells in a wood – but it’s particularly special 
when it’s the first time that bluebells have blossomed. So Stony in Bloom decided the occasion deserved a celebration. Linda Kehoe, who runs the Children’s Centre, thought it was a brilliant idea when she was approached; and on Wednesday 12th May the idea became a very enjoyable reality.
Linda, her assistants and the children produced stylish home-made bunting to decorate the wood; and also they created a charming woodland gallery by hanging
the colourful children’s paintings from the Stony in Bloom painting competition on a hessian backcloth. Stony in Bloom volunteers provided the party food; and Joan Walker, as Vice-Chair of the Town Council, officially opened the proceedings, thanking the children for helping to plant the bluebells and primroses. Then the children tucked into their food, and everyone gazed in admiration at the beautiful blue blooms and the pictures.
24 April 2010
Stony in Bloom Plant Sale at York House
Hundreds of eager gardeners were supplied with young plants, vegetables and herbs donated by local people at the Stony in Bloom plant sale held in front of York House. At the same time York House Committee ran a successful fund-raising cake and coffee morning inside York House. The plant sale raised £450 for Stony in Bloom to spend on beautifying the town.
25 March 2010
Stony springs into Bloom
First it was the deep purple crocuses,
then a scattering of gold, and after that the little yellow tête-à-tête narcissi to delight the eyes. Finally the 
daffodils are beginning to nod and wave and prove that spring is actually here. If the Russell Street School children who helped Stony in Bloom volunteers plant crocuses and tête-à-tête in the autumn take a stroll through Cofferidge Close they’ll see how 
pretty it has looked over the last couple of weeks. The crocuses planted by Breton residents and their children and grandchildren have bloomed beautifully.
Stony in Bloom volunteers have started work again on the Millennium Beds at the entrances to the town, and we hope that Stony Stratford residents will agree that they look particularly attractive this spring, with the ornamental grasses providing a pretty backcloth for the cheerful tête-à-tête.
18 January 2010
Archaeology of Stowe Gardens
On Monday, 18 January 2010, a packed audience at The Crown heard a fascinating account by Gary Marshall of the role of an archaeologist in the National Trust’s restoration of the beautiful landscape garden at Stowe to its former glory.
In addition to being a ‘Stony in Bloom’ volunteer, Gary is the National Trust’s archaeologist for the Thames Region, based at Stowe. He described how the design of the gardens had evolved from formal parterres in the seventeenth century to the naturalistic landscaping of William Kent, Charles Bridgeman and ‘Capability’ Brown in the eighteenth century. 
Since 1990, horticultural archaeology has provided vital evidence for the National Trust in its re-instatement of lost walks, replacement of specimen trees and woodland, and restoration of lakes and monuments. Gary brought along some ‘finds’ to illustrate his talk: a lightning-damaged metal window frame which had enabled the right proportions to be used for the restoration of Lord Cobham’s monument, simple but beautifully decorated clay flowerpots, and locally-made roof tiles from the derelict eighteenth-century coaching inn, the New Inn. 
This inn, and its adjoining farmhouse, are being restored to provide a first-class Visitor Centre at a South Entrance to Stowe Gardens, planned to open in 2011.
At the end of the talk, Judy Deveson thanked Gary warmly on our behalf, and he was soon surrounded by interested members of the audience for further discussion.
7 January 2010
Growing their own
The polytunnel at St Mary & St Giles School was blanketed in snow, but snug inside the salad leaves and garlic, planted by the school children in the Autumn term, are coming on wonderfully. It is hoped to use these home-grown vegetables in the preparation of the children’s lunches, to give them the satisfaction of eating what they have grown themselves.
Work starts on London Road lychgate
Passers by in London Road will have seen that the lychgate is enclosed in scaffolding. This is the latest Stony in Bloom project to get under way. For more information visit our Current Projects page.
5 December 2009
Stony in Bloom joins BBC/Guiness Book of Records tree-planting bid
On Saturday, 5 December four Stony in Bloom volunteers – Ray Cobley, Judy Deveson, Kathy Luff and Joan Walker – planted fifty saplings in the Bluebell Wood hedge at the top of London Road. Rob Gifford, as Chair of Stony Stratford Town Council, kindly verified that the planting was done it in the specified time, and so we are now part of the BBC/Guiness Book of Records tree-planting bid.
19 October 2009
Summer Blooms Give Way to Hardy Winter Plants
Anyone strolling down Stony Stratford High Street late in the afternoon on Sunday, 18 October would perhaps have been struck by how bare it all looked. No dazzling hues: just dark, empty planters. That was because earlier in the day Stony in Bloom volunteers had been out with their trowels and trays busily stripping away the begonias, geraniums and all the other flowers that have been lusciously and voraciously blossoming all summer. It was quite a wrench to pull them out – in more than a physical sense – as
many were still a delight to the eye. However, with frosts at night, it was decided that the time had come to move in the winter plants, many of which had been successfully saved in beds near the polytunnel at St Mary and St Giles School. So on Monday, 19 October Stony in Bloom volunteers were out once more, brightening up the planters with pansies, ivy and a variety of other winter greenery. Bulbs have been planted too, so watch out for extra colour in spring!
13 October 2009
The next generation of community gardeners in Breton!
A few months ago Isobel Thomson contacted Stony in Bloom to say that she’d be keen to help plant flowers to brighten up the Green in Breton. Delighted to respond to such a community initiative some Stony in Bloom volunteers and grandchildren joined Isobel and her daughters on 13 October in the autumn sunshine to plant crocuses and daffodils under the spreading chestnut tree.
Katy, Rachel, Tamika and Aimee were very enthusiastic planters, stamping fiercely on the ground to ensure the bulbs were well covered. They can feel very proud of themselves next spring when the purple and gold blooms cheer up everyone in Breton.
1 October 2009
New Term - Children of Russell Street School continue to work in their Science Garden, also have planted crocus bulbs given by Lesley Arkin in Cofferidge Close (see Young Bloomers Section).
28 September 2009
The Stony Stratford Community Wins at Newbury!
Britain in Bloom: the Stony in Bloom Group was absolutely delighted to win the Regional Trophy for the Urban Community Category and to gain the Silver Gilt Award, but happiest of all to win the regional Award For Most Community Involvement (out of Bucks, Berks and Oxon). That’s what the ever-expanding group feels is the most valuable aspect of their Britain in Bloom entry.
The results were announced in Newbury by the Royal Horticultural Society judges on September 28th, and Ray Cobley and Pat Kyd collected the beautiful glass trophy on behalf of the group.
Throughout the summer, residents have been saying how beautiful the town has been looking, with the planters and hanging baskets providing a dizzying burst of brilliant colour, and the new sensory gardens on London Road and Calverton Road a more subtle crescent of mauve and gold with the varied perennials.
It was satisfying that the judges agreed with the judgement of Stony Stratford’s residents. Some of the very positive comments of the judges include: the pride in the Town is reflected in the very good community support behind ‘Stony in Bloom' – and the new sensory garden has clearly had some thought put into it and adds interest at a gateway into the Town – excellent website promoting work of ‘Stony in Bloom’.
The Stony in Bloom 09 campaign scored a fantastic 88% in the community participation section.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN STONY IN BLOOM 2010 IN ANY WAY PLEASE CONTACT JUDY DEVESON VIA STONY STRATFORD TOWN COUNCIL.
10 September 2009
Every picture tells a story
Thanks to the generosity of local people and businesses, the enormous hard work and time given by those who opened their gardens and those on the organising committee of Stony Open Gardens in July, it has been possible to present a cheque for £4,000 to Willen Hospice. Seen here in the photo is Julia Rogerson, Events & Pomotions Manager of Willen Hospice, receiving the cheque from Pat Kyd, Janice Windon and Judy Deveson on the right hand side, and Joan Walker, seated below.
A BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED
THE STONY IN BLOOM 2009 CAMPAIGN
