Six local Primary schools, Millfields Primary, Highfield Academy, St Anne’s Catholic Primary, Weaver Primary, Nantwich Academy and Pear Tree Primary were awarded a Greenfingers certificate by Nantwich in Bloom for decorating and planting up large plant pots with colourful plants to attract bees and butterflies. The pots were beautifully decorated depicting a variety of pollinating insects.
Children and staff from some of the participating schools also met the judges from North West in Bloom in July outside St Mary’s Church where the pots were on display and helped Nantwich win the Gold Award in the North West in Bloom competition.
Sue Sherwood and Penny Rowlinson from Nantwich in Bloom attended school assemblies to show the Nantwich in Bloom Gold Award to the keen young gardeners, to thank the staff and pupils, and present the Greenfingers certificates along with some spring bulbs, hyacinths, daffodils and crocuses to be planted to produce a colourful display in the early spring.
A Green fingers Certificate and spring bulbs were also presented to Elmscot Nursery for their large planted pot which was displayed to the judges.
Decorated and Planted Pots 2021 ‘Grow your own Food’
In 2017 Nantwich in Bloom donated a large plant pot to each primary school in Nantwich for the pupils to decorate and plant up with whatever plants they chose.
In 2018 our theme commemorated the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War and last year young people produced some beautiful pots planted to provide a nectar bar of flowers to encourage bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Next year our theme for young people is growing your own food such as salad, vegetables, herbs and may be some fruit.
We will supply a new pot, if required, more compost and vegetable seeds such as radish, beetroot, lettuce and spring onions.
What we would like you to do is:
- decorate the outside of the pot including the name of your group
- plant it with food crops – these can be grown from seed or bought as plants
- look after it by watering, feeding and removing any pests and diseases until mid-July
- allow it to be photographed or collected and displayed in the town centre when the North West in Bloom judges visit the town, which will be towards the end of July.
Certificates will be awarded to all entries and there will also be a small prize for each group’s decorated and planted pot.
If any other local schools or nurseries would like to decorate and plant a pot next year, please contact Penny pennyrow123@outlook.com or Sue suevsherwood@btinternet.com. We will supply the pots and compost.
We are also inviting other community groups to join in a ‘Memories of times gone by’ decorated and planted pot project to support the Dementia Friendly Nantwich campaign. If your community group or elderly people’s home would like to be involved, please contact Sue Hughes suemarigold@btinternet.com
