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Flood-hit community gardeners could be up for a new award

Flood-hit community gardeners could be up for a new award

Flood-hit community gardeners could be up for a new award recognizing their resilience in rebuilding parks, gardens and green spaces in their areas after this winter’s devastating rainfall.

The RHS Britain in Bloom competition, involving up to 300,000 volunteers in the UK’s largest community gardening campaign, has announced a new discretionary award for overcoming adversity. The award will celebrate the courage of communities reviving green spaces after the most challenging of times, and also recognizes the impact of floods and other challenges faced by communities throughout the country.

Bloom finalists in line for the award include Aberdeen, where the award-winning Seaton Park saw the worst flooding in its history with some areas completely washed away. In Kendal, Cumbria, flooding has affected Abbot Hall, where a new peace garden was planted just last year. And in Corbridge, Northumbria, 2000 bulbs planted on the north side of the river were still under water at the start of spring.

Among the 72 RHS Britain in Bloom finalists this year are communities of every size from large cities such as Belfast and Wigan, to tiny villages like Middleton by Wirksworth in the East Midlands. Each is visited by the RHS judging team during August, with the results announced later in the autumn.