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Parks and Gardens In Bloom
The Brighter Kensington and Chelsea scheme encourages “pride in our borough by the planting of trees, shrubs and plants”. It was established in 1953 as part of the celebrations for the coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II, to encourage residents of the Royal Borough to take a greater interest in their gardens, balconies, window boxes and patios.
The competition is open not just to individuals, but also to schools, shops and businesses, fire stations, nursing homes, Church gardens, Hotels and Public Houses. Community efforts are a special feature, including shops streets and mews, and communal Garden Squares.
All the judges are professional horticultural experts, many associated with the Royal Parks.
Every year the Scheme collects money to plant bulbs somewhere in the borough.
The judges are particularly keen to see the involvement of volunteers in the community. There are sixteen classes, each with a cup or a trophy for first and certificates for second and third prizes. There are also some sixteen special awards, mostly cups for plantsmanship, design and so on.
The Scheme is a registered charity and has nine people on the committee; the Scheme’s Chairman is Councillor Tony Holt. The Address for the Brighter Kensington and Chelsea Scheme is:
27 Palace Gate
Kensington, London
W8 5LS
Tel: 020 7727 7494
Prizes are awarded at the Annual Meeting and Prizegiving in November, which, is followed by drinks and a bazaar in Kensington Town Hall.
Winners receive a 10 per cent discount card from a local nursery.
The Guild was founded in 1927 and re-formed after the Second World War. Its main aim is to encourage the practice of good gardening in all its aspects.
They welcome everyone who is interested in gardens and gardening whether or not they have a garden of their own.
A typical annual programme consists of a summer outing ,a garden party and prizegiving, the AGM, winter, spring and summer competitions, lectures of horticultural interest and 3 newsletters detailing our activities.
A Garden Party and Prizegiving are held at the Chelsea Physic Garden when the cups are presented by the Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea who is President of the Guild.
Membership costs:
Please note: (All members are entitled to a 10 per cent discount at local nurseries).
The current Chairman is Penny Pocock, 22 Lawrence Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 5NF, Telephone 0207 352 2729.
The Kensington Gardeners’ Club, founded in 1962 by Mrs Kathleen Hurbert, welcomes everyone who has an interest in gardening from those with large gardens to those with just a pot on the windowsill.
They meet six times a year, for lectures and slides and have four outings a year to gardens and parks of interest. Meetings are held in the Lecture Theatre at Kensington Central Library, W8 (Campden Hill Road entrance).
Doors open at 2pm and the meetings start at 2.30pm. Members learn about plants and gardens in the company of like-minded people. The Club arranges talks from well-respected gardening professionals on a wide variety of gardening subjects. These talks are usually illustrated with slides or films and are followed by a question and answer session.
Traditional English tea is served after each meeting. Members have the opportunity to ask further questions of the speaker and to get to know fellow gardening enthusiasts.
Kensington Gardeners’ Club membership is £7.50 for individual and £12 for a couple. A membership card will entitle members to 10 per cent discount at local suppliers.
They have a garden competition in the summer and the categories are:
For the 2007 programme of events please see:
For more information please contact:
The Chairman now is Anne Davies, however, for enquiries about membership, or for a programme please contact the Secretary:
Tel: 020 7460 8895
Email: susan702000@yahoo.co.uk
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