Sue shares details of the 2016 Wight in Bloom winners. Ed
Sponsored by Red Funnel and managed by Visit Isle of Wight, the Island’s gardening elite gathered at Northwood House in Cowes today (Tuesday, 6th September) for garden tea party-themed ceremony, hosted by Wight in Bloom Patron, Alan Titchmarsh MBE VMH DL, and compared by Visit Isle of Wight Chairman, Simon Dabell.
Wight in Bloom is an annual horticultural competition that is open to all Island residents, with the aim of making the Isle of Wight a brighter, greener place. The free to enter competition encourages and rewards those who take pride in their environment and make the Island a colourful and vibrant place to live and visit.
Kevin George, Chief Executive of Red Funnel Ferries, Terry Jarman, and Rosalind Wyman, overall winner of Wight in Bloom 2016 receiving her award from Alan Titchmarsh
Island schools that took part in the competition were invited to attend the event, and exhibit photographs and examples of their work in their gardens this year.
Alan Titchmarsh met with some of the schools and their gardening co-ordinators before the Awards ceremony to talk to the children about their garden projects.
Pupils from The Bay Primary School opened the ceremony with a song that featured the Community Kids.
There were over 100 entrants from across the Island in 11 categories. Wight in Bloom Patron, Alan Titchmarsh MBE VMH DL presented the award certificates and prizes to the winners of each of the categories, a gift bag courtesy of Liz Earle and Quantum™ Pruners from sponsors Fiskars
Wight in Bloom 2016 Winners
Best Small Front Garden
1st Rosalind Wyman, Shanklin
2nd Linda Ryan, Sandown
Highly Commended Mervyn Stevens, Shanklin
Young Person Special Achievement Award Eloise Smith, East Cowes
Best Large Front Garden
1st Oscar Stretch, Sandown
2nd Hilary Wellsted, Bembridge
Highly Commended Steve and Carol Denness, Sandown
Best Commercial Garden
1st The Fighting Cocks, Arreton
2nd The Cedars, Wootton
Highly Commended The Clifton Hotel
Best Senior Citizen Complex
1st Knights Court, Ventnor
Joint 2nd Columbus House, Shanklin
Joint 2nd Earl Mountbatten Hospice, Newport
Best Young People Initiative
1st Cowes Primary School
Joint 2nd The Bay Primary School, Sandown
Joint 2nd St Georges School, Newport
Best Community Floral Project
1st Shanklin Theatre
2nd East Cowes Town Planting – Care in the Garden
Highly Commended Yarmouth Town Council
Best Small Tourist Accommodation Garden
1st Godshill Model Village
2nd Rylstone Tea Gardens & Crazy Golf
Highly Commended The Garlic Farm
Best Large Tourist Accommodation Garden
1st Mottistone Gardens
2nd Ventnor Botanic Gardens
Highly Commended Osborne House
Best Creative Use of a Small Space
1st Elizabeth Allen
2nd William Donovan
Highly Commended Amanda Amapola
Best Coastal Garden
1st Villa Amanti, Ventnor
2nd Georgina Higgs, Sandown
Highly Commended Carlton Deck Tea Gardens, Shanklin
Best Edible Garden
1st Sue Garner, Sandlands Allotments, Seaview
Joint 2nd Nick Hewitt, Sandlands Allotments, Seaview
Joint 2nd St Georges School, Newport
Kevin George, Red Funnel’s CEO commented
“We are delighted to be the main sponsor for Wight in Bloom for the fourth consecutive year. The competition just gets bigger each year and the standard of the entries is amazing. We would like to congratulate all winners and thank everybody who entered and made Wight in Bloom 2016 such a success.”
The launch event also honoured Peggy Jarman, a long-standing organiser and Honorary President of the competition, who sadly died earlier this year.
In recognition of her hard work to maintain Wight in Bloom’s annual competition, Visit Isle of Wight and Red Funnel have renamed the overall prize as The Peggy Jarman Trophy. Terry Jarman, the late Peggy Jarman’s son presented the Trophy to Rosalind Wyman, who was the winner of the Best Small Front Garden category – and the overall winner of Wight in Bloom 2016.
David Thornton, CEO, VIOW said:
“The success of Wight in Bloom is testament to all the hard work and dedication by Peggy Jarman, who over the years worked with Island communities, businesses and local people to create colourful displays at entrances to villages, around bus shelters, in pub gardens and in residents’ own gardens.
“Peggy has been sadly missed by all who knew her but I know she would have been the first to congratulate all of our worthy winners for their hard work in making the Island a great place to live and visit.
“I would also like to thank Alan Titchmarsh for his continuing support as Patron of Wight in Bloom and for taking time out of his busy schedule to present the awards today.”
Alan Titchmarsh said:
“The Isle of Wight really does live up to its title of ‘The Garden Isle’ and this year’s finalists have proved that the island’s gardeners are a skilful bunch of folk who not only appreciate the value of beautiful gardens in enriching our lives and adding to the island’s reputation, but are also happy to prove that fact by their own efforts.
“The Isle of Wight is a place where plants and flowers really do make a difference and it is a real pleasure for me to be involved in recognising those who have added to its beauty in gardens large and small, public and private. Long may they continue to brighten our lives.”
Image: © Rob Clarke
