Ottery Guides help with bloom planting
Published: 4:04 PM June 16, 2010 Updated: 6:33 PM November 7, 2020
SIX raised planters at The Land of Canaan, Ottery St Mary, are looking colourful this week after 30 girls from 1st Ottery Guides spent Tuesday evening planting them up for Ottery in Bloom.
As well as undertaking the planting for the third year running, to aid the community in its bid to do well in the South West in Bloom competition, their green-fingered assistance helps them achieve their annual Challenge Badge.
Guider Eve Townson said: "We have also raised �50 for Ottery in Bloom by selling centenary biscuits at the local Community Market.
"Unfortunately we aren't able to maintain and water the plants during the summer, though adult volunteers are always needed to help with this, which is organised through the Ottery in Bloom committee."
Sarah Clarke, chairman of Ottery in Bloom, is delighted the Guides help out, particularly now East Devon District Council is cutting its StreetScene funding where it comes to floral displays.
This year's blooms for the planters have been supplied by EDDC "because they were in last year's budget," said Sarah.
She said Ottery Town Council was giving financial support to the committee to help provide floral displays for the town.
Once again Otter Nurseries has provided plants for students from The King's School to plant across St Saviour's Bridge.
Sarah is hoping that Sainsbury's, when established, will offer financial support to Ottery in Bloom.
She said: "We are a small committee of volunteers and are limited in what anyone is able to arrange. We will have to do some serious fund-raising to pay for plants (and maintenance) next year.
"We hope to get new planters to replace rusted out ones."
She said it was disappointing district funding had been cut and flower beds handed back to town councils.
"We will probably be looking for sponsorship," she added.
Other planters around the town will be planted out by volunteers and businesses will water their own containers.
Rotarians help out too, watering plants once a week.
"After that it is down to volunteers if they are droopy. We appeal that when the public are out walking they take a plastic bottle of water they can water the planters with," said Sarah.