Town centre pop-up garden wins North West in Bloom award

Rochdale’s town centre pop-up garden, ‘Celebrating 100 years of World War One’, has won a prestigious North West in Bloom award. 

The memorial garden, a fitting tribute on The Esplanade to remember those who fell between 1914 and 1918, was awarded Best Feature in a Public Place at the regional awards ceremony in Southport on Friday (2 November).

Based on 100 years’ celebration since the end of World War One, the garden includes engraved poems, benches, soldier silhouettes, a picture frame aimed towards our great cenotaph and a fantastic floral display, including poppies and other symbolic plants. 

 

 

The concept was the idea of Rochdale In Bloom vice-chairman, Paul Ellison, who worked alongside other In Bloom members and Rochdale Borough Council to install the feature.

He said: "It's great that our town's memorial has won the best feature at the In Bloom awards.

"A big thank you to everyone who come together to make this tribute possible, but a special thanks goes to Matt Chadwick from Marshall's, and Ian Trickett, Jamie White and Mark Bourne from Rochdale Council’s Environmental Management for helping with the installation."

Matt Chadwick of Marshalls said: "Marshalls are very happy to be part of Rochdale of Bloom. Our slogan is 'creating better spaces', and the pop-up garden in the town centre is a perfect example of this."

A smaller version of the garden was showcased at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society’s flower show in Tatton Park, which won the best Blooming Border exhibit and a gold medal.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/120592/blooming-marvellous-rochdale-in-bloom-silent-soldier-exhibit-is-best-in-category-at-rhs-flower-show

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/122288/rochdale-in-bloom-receives-gold-medal-for-tatton-park-flower-show-display

The Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom is one of the most effective, and longest running, environmental competitions in the UK, which pits rural villages, urban corners and city centres against one another across a range of criteria that includes horticultural know-how, community engagement, efforts to bolster biodiversity and climate change adaptation.