Twyford in Bloom is our village’s entry into Britain in Bloom, a nationwide gardening competition. The competition focuses on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility & community participation. Thames and Chilterns in Bloom is one of 16 campaigns which make up the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom.
Twyford Parish Council took up the gauntlet of coordinating Twyford in Bloom from Twyford Together in 2020.
Thames and Chilterns present their own Regional Awards which recognise excellence in particular areas such as conservation, the environment and heritage. Consequently, the Twyford in Bloom team is a wonderful melting pot of village life: businesses, volunteers, schools and groups such as Twyford and Ruscombe Horticultural Association, Friends of Loddon Nature Reserve, Twyford and Ruscombe Local History Society and Twyford Rethinks It’s Plastic. If you have an idea or would like to get involved – perhaps you’re looking for Duke of Edinburgh Award Volunteering opportunity? – then please contact Twyford Parish Council.
Fill out the form on Twyford Parish Council‘s website. We started out with 42 baskets in June 2015, thanks to funding from local businesses and Twyford Together patron Lady Elizabeth Godsal. An injection of cash from Twyford Parish Council and more applications from residents enabled us to install 103 in 2019.
Twyford Together’s volunteer gardeners have been hard at work all over the village. For example, our first insect friendly area took shape in 2010 at Jubilee Corner. Since then, other areas have been rejuvenated. There’s the Twinning Association Garden at the former Polehampton Boys’ School, the flower bed in ‘Tesco Alleyway’ and the new Snooker Hall Garden.
Both King George’s Field and Stanlake Meadow now have their own wildflower meadows. This is thanks to a handful of Twyford Together volunteers who are working with Twyford Parish Council, As a result, many pollinator friendly plants are now emerging. For example, ox eye daisy, red clover, cuckoo flower, birds foot trefoil, red campion, bluebells, tufted vetch, scabious, orange hawkweed and crocus tomasinia. Work is ongoing to clear and seed larger patches of the meadow with pollinator friendly plants.
If you can help scarify the area in the autumn or fancy preparing the area for spring planting, please get in touch.
Colleton School won the school category in 2019. Furthermore, Twyford Together launched a fruit tree for schools scheme in 2016. The project gives children the opportunity to plant their own trees on school premises, monitor the tree’s growth and eat produce straight from source.
The David Brownlow Charitable Foundation www.DBCF.com is coordinating and funding a project installing ‘Living Lampposts’ in Twyford, with the first one going up in Dec 2019 outside the United Reform Church. These smart living pillars are the same concept as ‘Green Walls’, but on lampposts to take up less space. They absorb pollutants as well as encourage biodiversity in urban spaces. They have bird boxes and insect houses, and they use solar energy for self-irrigation so no water wastage.
Twyford in Bloom also recognises community projects to enhance the environment. For instance, the Community Art Project in Tesco Alley and ‘Umbrella Alley’ Art Installation (sponsored by Benedict Charles Financial Planning) next to La Fontana. Efforts are also ongoing to keep the village tidy by reducing plastic and Adopting a Street.
In 2019 we launched a ‘bee friendly together’ initiative at the First Twyford Scouts’ Donkey Derby. In 2015, we held our first ‘Explore Together’ Wildlife Safari around Loddon Nature Reserve and in 2016 and 2017 and Sheeplands ran a Front Garden Competition.
Check out Twyford Parish Council’s website to get the latest on this year’s bid.