Latest news with #floraldisplays
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Southport Flower Show 2025: Everything you need to know
The Southport Flower Show opens later with floral displays, attractions and family over the next four days can experience award-winning show gardens, a shopping village, cookery demonstrations and live will also be a host of celebrity you are planning to attend, hopefully here's everything you need to know. Where and when is it? The annual four-day event takes place at the town's Victoria open to the public at 10:00 BST each day and the show will be open until 18:00 (with an earlier finish of 17:00 on Sunday).Victoria Park has wide walkways and a level say well-behaved dogs on leads are allowed on site. What can I expect? This year the show's theme will focus on health and wellbeing, the benefits of flowers and gardening, and the positive impact they make on daily spectacular award-winning show gardens, a grand floral marquee, amateur grower and plant society exhibitors, floral art and raised bed displays, a bees and honey marquee, and displays from local schools and will also be more family attractions this year including dog display teams, birds of prey, and horse promise the 35-acre park will be "a real hive of activity".Alpacas are visiting for the first time, while the highlights of a new children's trail include information about conservation work, a scarecrow festival, yoga, a doodle wall and the chance for kids to learn tennis skills. Who are this year's celebrity guests? Keep your eyes out for Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, rock star Toyah Willcox, Strictly Come Dancing winner Hamza Yassin, Bake Off's Cherish Finden, Gladiator Steel and CBeebies entertainer Justin experts include ITV's Love Your Garden's David Domoney; Nick Bailey from BBC Gardeners' World; Carole Baxter and George Anderson from BBC's Beechgrove Garden; and gardening experts, presenters and writers Martin and Jill guests include ITV's This Morning chef Phil Vickery; Cherish Finden from Bake Off: The Professionals; television personality and chef Rosemary Shrager; and Great British Bake Off Winner Nancy Birtwhistle. How do I get there? Visitors travelling to the show by train can buy discounted tickets from any Merseyrail ticket office.A shuttle bus from Southport railway station will run to the park every 15 minutes at an additional is available at Princes Park (within walking distance) and at Birkdale Common Park and Ride, with buses running to and from the showground every 15 minutes.A range of bus and coach services serve you are cycling to the show there are bike parking facilities at the nearby Eco Centre. How much are tickets? The 2025 gate price is £ you arrive after 15:00 on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can get in for £ under 16 are admitted free of charge with a paying are group discounts and local resident discounts details can be found on the Southport Flower Show website. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
05-08-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Towns put on displays as Britain in Bloom judges visit Shropshire
Two towns have been pulling out all the stops to get floral displays at their best, as Britain in Bloom judges tour judges will be in Oswestry on Wednesday after visiting Shrewsbury last clerk for Shrewsbury Helen Ball said judges arrived on a lovely, sunny day, flowerbeds were flourishing and at their peak, and people had their fingers crossed, adding: "It's always a good opportunity to showcase your town and also be judged by your peers as well."In Oswestry, town clerk Arren Roberts said the effort had been community-led, and volunteers were at work on Tuesday making sure streets looked good for the visit. Ms Ball said recent dry weather had been a "nightmare" with scorching temperatures, adding: "Two or three weeks ago when we were hitting 35C, the plants were cooking."We had to replace 20 hanging baskets and we were on the verge of giving up, but we kept trying and we've got over that storm, but it's been a tough season."Mr Roberts said the weather had proved challenging and Oswestry had lost some trees to dry weather, but he said teams had been out working hard and caring for hanging baskets and said: "The town's looking good and we're really excited for tomorrow."Britain in Bloom is run by the Royal Horticultural Society and is set up to inspire community groups to make positive changes to their local environment with horticultural, environmental and community action. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
CTV News
03-08-2025
- General
- CTV News
Moosomin welcomes beautification judges for Communities in Bloom national challenge
WATCH: Earlier this week, The City of Moosomin welcomed Communities in Bloom judges for their entry at the national challenge. Fruzsina De Cloedt has more. Earlier this week, The City of Moosomin welcomed Communities in Bloom judges for their entry at the national challenge. Moosomin's Main Street was blooming, as colourful flowers sat in their planters in front of the local businesses. It was a busy week for residents, as Moosomin's Communities in Bloom (CiB) Committee encouraged everyone to keep up their yards and pick up garbage. The preparations were made in an effort to win the national challenge and advance toward the international competition, which is done by impressing the two judges who visited Moosomin. 'We have six categories that we evaluate communities on,' said Christine Isaac, one of the judges. 'We have community appearance, tree management, heritage conservation, landscape, environmental action, and plant and floral displays.' Moosomin The City of Moosomin is hoping to win the national Communities in Bloom competition. (Fruzsina De Cloedt / CTV News) Based on the judges' notes from Wednesday and Thursday, Moosomin will be evaluated on a matrix. Moosomin has already won the provincial challenge, 'which gave them the ability to enter the national contest this year,' said Larry Hall, the other visiting judge. This is the second time Moosomin has found success, after making it to the national level in 2004. 'At that time, you might say the committee was about myself and two friends and we competed for three years at [the] provincial level,' recalled Ann Norgan, one of the local CIB committee members. The Communities in Bloom contest started years before Ann and her friends decided to sign Moosomin up. With guidance from similar initiatives in Ireland and France, Communities in Bloom was born in 1995. Today, it's a non-profit organization in partnership with the Canadian National Landscape Association. Becoming a judge is open to anyone. 'We all have various backgrounds, and it's just something that we're all very passionate about,' explained Isaac. 'We always go in pairs. So, if you are a brand-new judge, you'll go with someone that has been out a few times.' Moosomin The City of Moosomin is hoping to win the national Communities in Bloom competition. (Fruzsina De Cloedt / CTV News) After Moosomin's success in 2004, the Town Council decided that they needed a break from participating in the CiB challenges. According to Norgan, this is when the town formed its beautification committee. 'I think it's also helped to set the groundwork for it again, a younger generation deciding to be involved in Communities in Bloom,' she concluded. Seeing the revitalized interest, she decided to join again. According to Norgan, preparing for a CiB challenge brings the community together. For example, the town holds friendly, local competitions. 'People get involved in that, whether to grow a tomato plant with the most tomatoes or who has the most unusual planters,' she explained. Moosomin is fully committed to succeeding in the national challenge. 'They have shown us the entire town,' Isaac told CTV News. 'I have to say, I don't know that I have not seen a square inch of this town at this point, but it's all been amazing and beautiful.' The judges' schedule was packed tight. Starting early in the morning, going until late in the evening. They often only had five minutes to explore a location before it was time to move on. For obvious reasons, the judges couldn't tell CTV News if Moosomin is a strong contender. However, Christine said that '[The community in Moosomin] take a lot of pride in their community and that's very evident.' The judges' next stop will be Capreol in Ontario.
