Sodbury in Bloom

How to contact Sodbury in Bloom

It's really important that everyone in Sodbury feels part of Sodbury in Bloom, so if you have ideas for what you'd like to see, please email them to:

If you are interested in supporting Sodbury in Bloom in any way, please click here to download and complete our registration form [.doc] and email it to Julia Bernau at: or contact Pat Fryer on 01454 853736.

Latest News

Sodbury in Bloom newsletter

The group has produced the very first Sodbury in Bloom newsletter. Watch this space for future newsletters with dates for next year's activities. It's going to be a busy one...

Click here to read the December 2011 newsletter [.pdf 717kB]

Bulb Planting with Sodbury in Bloom

You'll have seen that South Gloucestershire and Sodbury councils have replanted all the planters around town with Winter bedding.

To augment their sterling efforts we 'In Bloomers' have added spring flowering bulbs to the new Town Sign planters. We have put daffodils and narcissi in the planters and crocuses in the grass in front of them. Look out for them in the Spring.

We have also been busy in and around the Millennium Garden of St John's Way. We have added lots of tulips in the garden and daffodils and narcissi to the banks of the footpath.

Hopefully these will be a colourful addition to the town scene for years to come. Perennial and sustainable planting is an important part of our long term plan, and we'd like to increase our bulb planting in the future.

If you identify an area that would benefit from this strategy please let us know and we'll see what we can do.

And don't forget, we are out on the first Thursday of every month tidying up the tubs and planters in the high street and meeting outside the Baptist church at 10am. Do come and join us.

Sodbury in Bloom Christmas Cards

Christmas cards featuring Chipping Sodbury looking picturesque in Wintry sunshine have been created by award-winning Sodbury in Bloom to celebrate the success of their efforts in the town.

The stunning frosty image featured on the front of the card was provided free of charge by Rich McD Photography, and the cost of printing was covered by The Boundary magazine and Jamprint, so all profits can be used to boost the next entry to South West in Bloom.

Sodbury in Bloom ran a competition to give away two packs of Christmas cards. The winners were Karen Mayo and Joanne Cox.

Lilliput Park

Sodbury in Bloom have regular action mornings in Lilliput Park every second Thursday in the month from 10.30am to 1pm. Please join us, and bring secateurs, shears and bags.

We are opening up an area of the park known locally as the 'quiet corner' and have already planted roses and heather plants.

We have also planted a dozen colourful shrubs and are reinstating a buried rockery as part of our long term plans in this area.

In 2012 the Sodbury in Bloom Team intend to walk the Britain in Bloom Judges from the Kingfisher Road gate entrance and across the Millennium Bridge, then to the Quiet Corner and along the top field footpath to exit via the Love Lane entrance.

It is essential therefore that the route to be walked is fully maintained and improved as far as is practical.

Silver Gilt for 2011

Well, we did it again. This year Sodbury in Bloom won a Silver Gilt award, up a category from last year, so we are obviously doing something right.

Hopefully, you will have noticed that Chipping Sodbury looks even better as a result of our attentions. There are more hanging baskets, fewer weeds, the Millennium Garden is looking great and even the Wickwar Road car park is looking better.

It's amazing what a difference a little bit of TLC can make and the bonus is the fun we have had doing it all.

We couldn't have done it without the help of other organisations and our volunteers and the Sodbury in Bloom Team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped.

We can't list all the organisations but we are very grateful to them all. However it is the individual volunteers who make the difference.

From those who came to the working parties to those who grew plants for us or gave us donations all of you made a big contribution.

Of course we want to do even better next year and we are aiming for a Gold award in the not too distant future.

It would be really good if more people could be involved this year so please come and join us if you have even a little bit of time to spare.

New signs for Chipping Sodbury, as illustrated, are being installed by the Town Council, to mark the success of Sodbury in Bloom.

For 2012, Sodbury in Bloom are planning a colour scheme of red, white and blue to be used in the Town for the Olympic and Jubilee year.

Exterior Floral Display Competition 2011

Every year Sodbury has many wonderful floral displays in pots, planters and hanging baskets.

This year, the Sodbury in Bloom team held a competition to create an external floral display, which was judged by Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort on July 13th. Rich McDonough kindly took photos.

At the Town Hall the Duchess was greeted by the Mayor Paul Jobbins, Cllr Melody Gall, Chris Alcock and Deborah Newman – all committee members.

Melody, Chris and Deborah escorted Her Grace around town, and the tour finished at the Rounceval House Hotel, with coffee and cake hosted by Mark Lloyd, Chairman of Sodbury Chamber of Commerce.

The Duchess met the Festival Flower Princess Scarlet Smith and presented her with a framed photo momento.

Scarlet presented Her Grace with a bouquet of flowers, as a thank you from Sodbury in Bloom.

The Duchess was extremely impressed by the standard of entries, in the closely fought contest, which was challenging to judge (she was the sole judge). There were two categories – residents and business.

The Duchess is a keen gardener and thoroughly enjoyed her visit to Chipping Sodbury – she hopes even more entries will be received next year.

The results were as follows:

Resident Awards

Gold: Mrs P L Jacobs, April Cottage, 7 The Parade – she also won the gorgeous hamper donated by The Hamptons Delicatessen

Silver: Deborah Newman, Milestone Cottage, 43 Horse Street

Bronze: Mrs M J Willis, 64 Horse Street

Business Awards

Gold: The Coffee Bean, 74 Broad Street

Silver: The Boot Inn, Horse Street

Bronze: The Hamptons Deli

The following day the Mayor and the above committee members personally awarded the awards.

2011 Judges Route

Click here to see the Judges Route for 2011. [.pdf 42kB]

Flower Princess

Sodbury's Flower Princess 2011 - Scarlet Smith, age 11, receives her photo from the Duchess of Beaufort. Photo courtesy of Rich McD Photography.

Sodbury in Bloom & East Dodington join forces in Lilliput Park

Sodbury in Bloom are in full swing with their work plan to make further improvements to our local environment.

Last year the ‘In Bloom’ judges praised the good work our group had carried out in Lilliput Park and this year we have been determined to make an even better showing.

To this end ‘Sodbury in Bloom’ and ‘East Dodington’ have joined forces to bring more colour to Lilliput Park.

In Autumn 2010 we planted a shrub rose bed in the Park with the aid of a grant from Dodington Parish Council.

This year we are planning to plant colourful shrubs and daffodils in the southeast corner of the Park and also near the Love Lane gateway.

You are welcome to come and join our enthusiastic group of supporters who have great fun working together to improve and bring more colour to our community.

Already this year we have carried out a Spring Clean and planted the first stage of a community orchard in Chipping Sodbury.

We have many more planting plans for 2011 throughout our area and would appreciate your help.

If you want to talk to someone about joining our group ring Pat Fryer 01454 853736 or Julia Bernau 07939 111176 or email us on .

New Community Orchard

Sodbury in Bloom and St. John’s Park Conservation Group planted a new community orchard, off Couzens Close in February 2011.

Apple, plum, pear and damson trees will all hopefully flourish and create fruit for future Sodbury Scrumpers. Local food and great for wildlife!

Thanks go to South Gloucestershire Council for providing a grant meet the costs associated with this initiative.

New Sodbury in Bloom Friends Group

Become a Friend of Sodbury in Bloom and support the development through gardening, fundraising, producing and distributing a newsleter or through donations.
Click here to find out more [.pdf 732kB]

About Sodbury In Bloom

A committee of volunteers co-ordinates Chipping Sodbury's participation in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition.

This is an annual competition run by the Royal Horticultural Society, which aims to stimulate interest within communities to improve their local environment through the imaginative use of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping.

Points are awarded for:

• Horticultural achievement
• Environmental responsibility
• Community Participation

The long term benefit of the Project will be to make a lasting improvement to the community for everyone to enjoy, young and old, residents and visitors as well as for future generations.

Our area covers the ward of Sodbury and the judges were shown the High Street, Lilliput Park, St John’s Mead Primary School, several day nurseries, the riverside walk, the Millennium garden, Stubbs Ridings and the Baptist Church garden.

Gallery

Here's a selection of photos taken by Rich McDonough:

A Patron for Sodbury in Bloom

The committee is delighted with the news that the Duchess of Beaufort, a keen horticulturalist, has kindly agreed to be patron of Sodbury in Bloom.

The Duchess definitely has the right credentials for this role as she’s published a book called Easy Gardening: Recipes for Successful Planting, and the committee is grateful for her support.

Sodbury in Bloom is also supported by:

• Sodbury Town Council
• Dodington Parish Council
• South Gloucestershire Council
• Growing Ideas - Chipping Sodbury's Gardening Club
• Sodbury and Yate Business Association
• Chipping Sodbury Chamber of Commerce
• Rich McD Photography, who supplies pictures for the Sodbury in Bloom portfolio and this web page
• The Boundary magazine
• Jamprint

Sodbury in Bloom Logo

Sodbury in Bloom held a competition among local schoolchildren to design a logo for the campaign.

The winning design was created by Sophie Press from St John's Mead Primary School.

How it all began...

At the 2009 Chipping Sodbury Festival, local residents were invited to stick pins in a map of the area to show where they thought trees, flowers and plants would make a positive impact.

A working group at Sodbury Town Council began to look into the possibility of Sodbury entering the Britain in Bloom competition.

In December 2009, an open invitation was extended to the community, and attendees were enthusiastic about forming a group to continue the project.

In February 2010 a committee was formed.