Ferndown in Bloom’s advice session at Haskins

How perfect does your garden need to be to enter into this year’s Ferndown in Bloom Competition? Cllr Jean Read, Chair of the committee and the team of volunteers who are organising this year’s competition, will be hosting an advice session at the Cedar room in the Haskins Garden Centre restaurant on Monday, 30 June between 2pm and 4pm to reassure home owners that their garden does not need to be of an exceptional standard as seen at the Chelsea flower show.

Jean Read says that as no two gardens are ever the same, the judges, led by competition manager Lynn Ovens look for front gardens with what the estate agents would term as ‘kerb appeal’ and have a character of their own. “If strangers walk past your home whilst you are gardening and praise your garden – you are probably a contender to win the Best Front Garden award and a £100 Haskins gift card,” she said, “but we have many other categories including best garden, patio or balcony within a park home or sheltered accommodation, First time entrant, tallest sunflower, and wildlife in a Ferndown garden photographic competition. We have also introduced a best schools project award and the winning school will be presented with a trophy and a £50 gift card.”