Anglia in Bloom judges left Stansted this week with warm words and praise for people and organisations featuring in this year’s entry to the horticultural competition.
Two judges arrived on Thursday to see sites first hand included in the village’s AiB entry.
The judging route took in TouchPoint’s community garden, Cambridge Road with its hanging baskets and street side planters and pretty thatch cottages, the nearby Aubrey Buxton nature reserve, Elms Farm allotments and St Mary’s Church.
Stansted AiB organiser Trevor Lloyd said: “The judges were really impressed with all the people they met and gave organisers positive feedback on the village entry.”
High standards
Stansted’s entry will be scored against three criteria: community participation, environmental responsibility, and gardening achievement.
The standard needed to win prizes across the categories can be daunting.
AiB forms part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom competition and attracts entrants across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.
That said, last year Stansted Mountfitchet picked up a Silver Gilt award for its overall entry, while six local organisations scored Gold for their community participation. The Stansted Mountfitchet Social Club particularly impressed and was awarded best Pub and Restaurant garden.
Human Roots, Let’s Talk Stansted, the volunteer gardeners at TouchPoint, as well as the Friends of St Mary’s Church are just some of the organisations helping Stansted put its best foot forward in AiB in 2024.
September awards date
Results for this year’s entry will be announced on September 6.