You may have seen them around the town – the Wymondham in Bloom volunteers – working hard as they weed and water the plants and flowers that help to make Wymondham a more beautiful place for residents and visitors alike. Here we find out more from volunteers Diana Grant and Janis Raynsford about the group and what they do.
Can you tell us more about the background of Wymondham in Bloom?
Diana: Wymondham in Bloom was started in 2019 by Kim Carsok and I joined two years later. It comes under the umbrella of the Town Team, as a local group which aims to make our town look beautiful with plants, make us proud of our environment and get people participating for a lovely community spirit. Initially, we encourage retailers and businesses in the town centre to put out floral displays in summer which can be judged and awarded certificates. The Garden Club members are involved in that and fifty per cent of the cost is met by our Town Council. In addition, we have several showpiece local projects which are presented to the Royal Horticultural Society judges who visit in July to assess the town for Anglia in Bloom awards. Ultimately, the regional winner goes on to compete at Britain in Bloom. Our portfolio adheres to RHS standards which demonstrate environmental responsibility, sustainability, wildlife friendly biodiversity, community and intergenerational involvement and the score for our award can be Bronze, Silver, Silver Gilt or Gold. We aim for Gold of course.
We publicise our events on our Facebook page and sometimes have a stall at the farmers’ market.
What are some of the projects in your portfolio for Anglia in Bloom?
Last year we presented Browick Road School Garden Club to the judges. The children have a garden in the school grounds and learn how to grow plants, vegetables and flowers - it’s very successful and the children are so proud. Browick Road Community Orchard is a fantastic project by Greening Wymondham with whom we’re closely associated as we share many aims and ideas. We also showed the judges the MNR Abbey Station last year and they loved it. The Abbey churchyard herb garden, cared for by Hilary Hunter and the churchyard team, is extraordinary. There’s also Toll’s Meadow nature reserve and the Chapel Lane allotments. Each year we select our best examples to present. We’re currently finalising the portfolio to present and show the judges for Anglia in Bloom this year.
We plan children's sunflower and pumpkin growing competitions and a home frontage competition which is anonymously judged. Where there’s a neglected or unattractive area we focus on changing this by presenting our plans and working towards showing progress the following year. Our goal is to enhance Wymondham's community spaces for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
How do you get local retailers and businesses to take part?
The town centre businesses are encouraged to decorate but they don't have to be judged. Participants are given a voucher as an incentive, which entitles them to 50% off (funded by the Town Council grant) and can be used in the Wymondham Garden Centre or Myhills Pet & Garden. There are all kinds of different awards for those who take part.
How did you get involved with Wymondham in Bloom and what do you get out of it?
Diana: When I moved here in 2020, I was very keen to get involved in local activities and, despite things being a bit hidden due to the lockdown, I connected with Kim and the team via social media. I have a passion for gardening, but my garden being rather small here, I had the time to put into gardening in a voluntary capacity. The feedback from people who see and appreciate our work is highly rewarding. And the best part is working together in our volunteer team and sharing our enthusiasm and energy.
Janis: I joined Wymondham in Bloom in April this year. I’m passionate about gardening so enjoy taking care of the plants and making the place nicer and more colourful for the public. I enjoy the social aspect of being part of Wymondham in Bloom too. I also look after Chandler’s Hill Garden having taken over from an elderly lady, Brenda Ford.
Diana: Janis does a lot, including helping out in the Museum gardens and Priory Gardens too. She has won a Civic Award for her contributions to local community green spaces.
Can you tell us more about the volunteers and other people involved?
Diana: Volunteers join in as they are able - it's very flexible. This year we have more people - about 15. We use Facebook to encourage interest and participation. We give as much choice as possible of activities according to people’s abilities or interests. Almost everyone is retired or semi-retired but still fairly active and we can work around limitations. Everyone is welcome. We try to offer choice and make it light-hearted. Team spirit and satisfaction are important. We always enjoy our refreshments too.
I’m a coordinator and there are five of us in a core team. We share the work out – Annette writes the portfolio, which is a tremendous task, Paula and Janet work with the retailers who participate in the scheme. Kim, who is part of Town Team has been leading it and continues as an inspiration to us all. Jacquie has recently taken over the social media promotions.
We’ve had professional input from a local garden designer, Lesley Anne Clarke, who helped us with plant choices for the 30+ town centre planters, so we had a planting plan for plants that would thrive and look beautiful without too much work. Her guidance enabled us this year to make our own plan.
What type of activities do you do?
Janis: Since I joined, we’ve been out tidying up the streets, weeding the cobbles and walls of shops and houses - we’ve made a very good job of Town Green underneath the tree. Then planting around the town. The work is sometimes hard, but we’ve achieved quite a lot.
Diana: In the summer of 2021 watering was challenging due to the drought. A small team of us met regularly using donated water from local businesses or which we brought in our cars. The following year we decided we’d like to work more collaboratively with the council grounds team. We agreed to choose the plants and we worked together with the planting. This year we’re taking over more and have chosen and planted everything while the council’s groundsmen team have done much of the watering. I’m quite proud of our collaboration with them as they have a big workload looking after the parks, cemetery and churchyard. Wymondham probably looks at its best in summer but our goal is to keep it looking attractive all year round. With that in mind, we’re working towards increased use of perennials and long-term planting rather than temporary annuals which are more work and more expensive in the long term.
Litter picking is necessary to keep public spaces looking good. Working with Greening Wymondham we now hold volunteer public litter picking events every couple of months, covering residential and industrial outlying areas, not just the town centre. Usually on Saturdays a growing number of people of all ages come along, often up to 50. We are increasingly supporting groups of Brownies, Scouts and Rainbows who want to do litter picking events for their badges.
How do you tell weeds from wildflowers?
That’s an interesting one. In our decision making we look with an open mind at what are weeds and wildflowers. There are some beautiful areas of wildflowers in Wymondham: the Abbey churchyard, Browick Orchard, along by the wall of Chandler’s Hill.
What about Open Gardens in Wymondham?
Janis: This was last year in Wymondham. It’s every other year and we alternate with Hethersett.
Diana: Open Gardens has always been run by the Museum and Heritage Society who benefit from most of the funds raised. Last year we got involved as both Janis and I sit on the committee at the Heritage Society. It was very successful and we opened about 25 gardens in Wymondham.
What does the future hold for Wymondham in Bloom?
Its future is about the way it’s recognised, valued and appreciated, and its success is about the challenges ahead, our goals and how much we achieve. It will never stand still as it’s looking at creating, with volunteer effort, a better public space around us where we live and work in our town.
For more information visit www.wymondhamtownteam.org/wym-in-bloom-2023 or
