Memorial Green beds. We estimated that they donated approx 100 worth of plants. Highfield Garden World in Whitminster donated the shrubs which form the centrepiece of the Stonehouse Gardening Club bed. They are: hydrangea, Mahonia x media Charity, Rosa glauca, viburnum, purple berberis, Lonicera x purpusii Winter Beauty, rosemary and euonymus. The table top sales/bloomers Café continue to be well supported and generate approx 80-100 a week in funds for SIB The community litter picks begin for 2017 Stonehouse History Group put together two displays for Gloucestershire Local History Association's Local History Day on Saturday 18th March. They featured Stonehouse in Bloom and the Trees in the High Street Planted a weeping pussy willow tree in each of the Rusty Planters in the High Street. Weeded, tidied and cut back last year s growth in the Long Border and the raised bed in the Rest Garden. April 2017 The Station Master s Garden starts to take shape for 2017. Joe Gallagher has completed a painting of the Gloucester to Chalford shuttle, pictured left, a steam train which travelled daily through Stonehouse until 1964. This picture stands next to his painting of the Flying Scotsman that was completed for SIB 2016. We have extended the planting up the side of the station steps: digging planting holes through the rubble and filling with homemade compost and top soil. We have planted insect-friendly plants including buddleia, unfussy perennials such as hardy geraniums and dianthus, and colourful, annuals that will tolerate poor soil and dry conditions, like nasturtiums; we have also planted three shrubs donated by a committee member and will continue to reclaim this area in the future. May 2017 We started our weekly working parties, which have been running on alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6pm, meeting at the Town Hall. From here, we choose a place that needs weeding/tidying up and we do a couple of hours work. Planted up all the new perennials in the Memorial Green bed. We left the bulbs in situ so that they will come up in the spring and the whole bed will become more sustainable and easier to manage. Converted three donated filing cabinets into planters for the High Street.
Planted up the Co-op beds, the Rusty Planters and the GWR planter in the High Street with annual bedding schemes. Took delivery of all the High Street lamppost planters, barrier baskets and hanging baskets. These are watered by the Town Council ground staff assisted by Gary Powell, who steps in when needed. Held a Garden Party & Plant Sale to raise funds. It was very well supported and raised 293 despite the atrocious weather! June 2017 All the planters and barrier baskets at Stonehouse Station were installed and are watered daily throughout the summer by a team of volunteers. The recycled filing cabinet planters are outside CK Nails & Bailey Opticians and Sweet Delights in the High Street. Both these planters are being watered by the local businesses. The metal filing cabinet outside the High Street Medical Centre has been designed and planted by 4th Stonehouse Brownies. Appeared on the Mark Cummings show on BBC Radio Gloucestershire as part of their Phone with no home slot. Talked about Stonehouse in Bloom. They offered to tweet any news that we send them to publicise the event. Shops and businesses get behind Paint Stonehouse Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Week. July 2017 Stonehouse Art Festival on the Memorial Green by Stonehouse Community Partnership, Maidenhill School, Park Infant & Junior Schools and The Shrubberies School. Planted out the sunflowers, which have been grown by students from Maidenhill School, in the Memorial Garden, pictured right. New water butt installed that will collect water from the roof of the shelter on the Londonbound platform at Stonehouse Station. Water butt re-sited on Gloucester-bound platform. This is filled by Town Council ground staff. Final community litter pick before the judging. Final push to get the whole town looking its best for Judging day on July 25th. Article in Stonehouse News, Stroud Life and Stroud News and Journal advertising judging day. Posters for all local businesses advertising judging day. Portfolio and presentation completed ready for judging day. Preparations made to welcome judges to Bloomers Café on July 25th: selection of home-made cakes plus tea and coffee. Invitations go out to a few regular customers, Brownies and Cubs. Invite press photographers to come and take pics of judging day.
Stonehouse High Street
Meeting the criteria Stonehouse in Bloom 2017 A1 Impact Design: colours, appropriate choice of plants, special features, presentation, innovation The new herbaceous perennial border on the Memorial Green & sustainable planting in bed by the Globe Inn. Stonehouse Gardening Club s winter wild life garden Three recycled filing cabinet planters in the High Street Wildflowers at the entrance to Meadow Road Park and along the fence by the Globe Inn; floral towers in the High Street The Horse Trough, WI planter & hay racks on Pearcroft Rd bus shelter Hanging baskets, lamppost baskets and barrier baskets in the town The pink bike in the High Street & Stonehouse Lunch Club beds Barrier baskets and floral containers at Stonehouse Station Station Master s garden & planters at Standish end of town Sustainable planting in the long border in the Rest Garden Sustainable planting in plots by station steps and in front of Stonehouse Convenience Store & the raised bed in the Rest Garden Panting bulbs in the Rest Garden for winter interest and new planting in the Monument Garden Seasonal planting and perennial plants in Rusty planters A2 Horticultural practice: cultivation and maintenance, quality of plants, sustainability, new planting We have continued to grow an increasing number of plants from seed and have concentrated on perennials and plants that will self-seed. We still have some traditional displays of annual bedding plants. We have used plants that we have divided or dug out from our own gardens and all the new planters in the High Street contain compost made by the Town Council ground staff as well as a top dressing of bought compost. All this is in evidence in: The new beds on the Memorial Green The recycled filing cabinet planters Stonehouse Gardening Club bed The Station Master s Garden Bed next to steps leading to Stonehouse Station The long border in the Rest Garden The beds on the Memorial Green The Co-op beds The bed in front of Norville Opticians The beds by the Globe Inn The wild flower border at the entrance to Meadow Road Playing Field The allotments with its edible hedge Stonehouse Lunch Club beds Bed in front of Norville Opticians Drifts of snowdrops in the Rest Garden Drifts of daffodils in the Rest Garden A3 Residential and Community Gardening: residential, communal areas, allotments, public buildings, car parks Stonehouse Community Centre garden The hanging baskets on Stonehouse Town Hall
Stonehouse Lunch Club beds Members of Stonehouse Lunch Club hard at work to keep the borders looking their best Stonehouse Community Centre Garden
The garden at St Joseph s Catholic Church Park Junior School Eco Garden Wycliffe College grounds The All Pulling Together community garden The Stonehouse Community Partnership vegetable planters A number of Stonehouse residents who take pride in their gardens The garden at The Elms care home Elgin Court garden A4 Business Areas and Premises: retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals, car parks, farms, rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions, offices, estate agents. The hanging baskets in the High Street put up by individual businesses as well as those businesses who contributed to the lamppost baskets and hanging baskets/barrier baskets organised by the Town Council. The planters and baskets at Stonehouse Station. GWR have also sponsored the planter outside the Town Hall. The raised beds outside Stonehouse Co-op Sponsored street trees in the High Street Woodcock Lane Dental surgery vegetable garden Planters & baskets outside LS Boutique, World Guitars, Hurns Hardware store, Location estate agents, the Feel Good Factor A5 Green spaces: verges, parks and public open spaces Four trees and two benches in Meadow Road Playing Field Six new trees and hedge in Meadow Road playing field On going improvements in the Rest Garden On going improvements in Memorial Garden New perennial planting scheme on the Memorial Green Dedicated benches by the canal near St Cyr s Church New footpath to prevent erosion of verge on approach to Horse Trough roundabout The landscaping at Cotswold Green B1 Conservation and biodiversity areas of natural habitat, wildlife and conservation areas The newt ponds off Bristol Road and at the Stagholt allotments Doverow Hill and the six-acre Doverow Woods Park Junior School Eco Garden St Cyr s Church churchyard Park Junior School s butterfly project hatching, growing and releasing butterflies into the school eco garden Shrubberies School pond refurbishment with disabled access. Replanting planned with bee, bat, butterfly and moth-friendly plants Shrubberies School mixed species hedge for wildlife 1st Stonehouse Cubs bug hotel We have also included three areas of wildflowers in the town: along the fence by the Globe Inn, at the entrance to Meadow Road Playing Field and by the steps up to Stonehouse Station. The Stroudwater Canal
Meadow Road wild flowers. Standish End
B2 Resource management and recycling, minimising demand place on natural resources and any harmful impact on the environment The two water butts at Stonehouse Station, one in the Rest Garden, and one outside the High Street Medical Centre Litter bins in the High Street and in other areas around the town which take recycled items as well as general waste Recycling containers in the main town car park Benches in the town made from recycled materials Recycling old filing cabinets and making them into planters Turning a discarded pallet into street art at the Station Master s Garden B3 Local heritage management and development of local heritage and /or identity, inclusive of natural heritage Exhibition attended by Stonehouse History Group detailing the recent history of Stonehouse in Bloom and trees in the High Street Sign boards giving information about Doverow Woods, The High Street & the Millennium Stone, The Globe Inn & the Memorial Green, The Woolpack Inn, the Stroudwater Canal, Stonehouse transport links and the Newt Ponds. Ongoing regeneration of the Stroudwater Canal B2 Local environmental quality management of vacant premises and plots, litter, graffiti, fly posting, dog fouling etc Community litter picks Stonehouse in Bloom committee working parties Regular patrols by community wardens Regular weeding of car park behind former HSBC bank Regular weeding of car park behind Wynn s Cafe B5 Pride of place management of street furniture, signage, art in the landscape and hard landscaping Stonehouse Art Festival Stonehouse History Group signs Dedicated seating in town parks and on the green. New benches in the Rest Garden and Meadow Road park Pictures of trains sited next to the Station Master s garden C1 Development and continuity development and sustainability of the local In Bloom initiative and evidence of ongoing projects On-going improvements in the Rest Garden, including a raised bed that will be accessible to wheelchair users; continue to encourage continued involvement of community groups Put a woodland path in the Memorial Garden to define planting areas and plant up with suitable perennials and bulbs The APT Garden Gang meets every Tuesday and grows fruit, flowers and veg in raised beds. They take the produce home and any excess is used by the APT Monday lunch group and Stonehouse Food Bank. C2 Communication and education community awareness and understanding, engagement with schools and young people and/or other community groups, press coverage, publicity materials
Paint the Town Pink Stonehouse Arts Festival Stonehouse Station
The Sunflower Project 4th Stonehouse Brownies Fairy Garden Stonehouse Lunch Club beds APT Garden Competition APT Garden Gang The WI planter Stonehouse Art Festival Posters, portfolio etc Use of Social media: Facebook/Twitter Regular press releases to media outlets Articles in Stonehouse News C3 Community participation engaging a wide range of people across all areas of the community: Stonehouse Gardening Club beds Individual adopt a plots which are increasing in number The Sunflower Project 4th Stonehouse Brownies Fairy Garden Stonehouse Lunch Club beds Stonehouse Art Festival APT Park Estate Garden competition APT Gardening Gang WI planter Stonehouse Community Centre garden Shrubberies School planting outside the Co-op C4 Year-round involvement schedules of events and supporting evidence of year-round activity Winter planting in the High Street and Co-op beds Ongoing tending of permanent planting displays in the town Planted daffodil bulbs and snowdrops in the Rest Garden Continued to hold regular meetings February wrote to all previous sponsors to ask for financial support for 2016 Opened Bloomers Café and started table top boot sales May garden party and plant sale Weekly working parties to weed & tidy the town and continue with ongoing projects Regular litter picks May 17 Volunteer Day C5 Funding and Support initiatives to secure ongoing support for the local In Bloom campaign including local business support Table top sales and Bloomers Café, which have been run weekly by volunteers since February 28 2017 and will run until September. Car boot sales Continued support of Stonehouse Town Council Continued support of local businesses Private donations Identifying suitable grant funding for future projects such as Stonehouse Rotary Club and the Co-op Community Fund