Storrington in Bloom begins to take shape

n 13th June - Closing date for Front Gardens and Community Areas Entries

n 19th July - Clean Up Day

n 21st July - Judges Arrive!

n 30th July - Closing date for public voting for business premises.

Down in Storrington, front gardens are taking shape, allotments have already had their first spring judging visit, and the local businesses in Storrington have shown great interest in putting on displays in the shop windows and gardens.

Mary Cicely Barker, author of the Flower Fairies books, lived in Storrington in her later years, and her ashes are scattered in the Parish churchyard. This year, Flower Fairies will be our theme, so look out for the fairies in the traders’ window displays, and remember, for the traders, it’s a people’s vote, so you can use the voting slip in the Sussex Local June issue, or on the Storrington In Bloom website, to register your favourite display before the closing date. Rydon Community College are designing and making Flower Fairies to adorn many of the displays too.

For the first time this year, you can “Nominate your Neighbour” for the Best Front Garden and Community Area categories, and the nominator is entered in a prize draw to win a magnum of champagne ! The closing date is getting closer, so make sure you enter online at www.storringtoninbloom.co.uk or fill in your form and post it in the Village Florist, and the first 30 entrants get a voucher for a free pair of secateurs from Squires!

With the help of Village Nurseries, The Storrington In Bloom volunteers have been hard at work sowing seeds, planting seedlings, and preparing tubs and planters ready to grow into their displays, and would like to thank all the traders who have generously contributed towards the costs of this planting. The Greenfingers team have just finished all the summer planting in the large High Street troughs, supported by a grant from the Parish Council.

The Sunflower stand at the Annual Duck Race received great interest, and young people will be striving to achieve the tallest sunflower in Storrington. A large number of young people’s groups have already entered the highly successful Wheelbarrow Challenge which featured for the first time last year, and Storrington 1st School will be planting in Mill Square again.

Residents may have noticed the telephone box outside Vintage Rose café has had a lick of paint? Storrington In Bloom has adopted it jointly with the Area Responder Scheme, to install a defibrillator, ensuring that help is not far away should it be needed.

Everyone is sure that this co-ordinated effort will really reap benefits for all the residents and traders in the village, and attract visitors to come and enjoy the colourful displays.

The judges will be arriving on Tuesday 21st July, and a further Clean Up day has been arranged for Sunday 19th July , so this is your chance to come along and find out what it’s all about, and make some new friends! T o find out more, contact [email protected] or see www.facebook.com/storringtoninbloom

Report and pictures contributed by David Wright, Storrington in Bloom secretary.