Thanks to Robert...

Robert has been chair of Pudsey In Bloom for a number of years but has now decided to step down from his role, the group would like to thank him for all the work he has put in and reminded him he will still be `on call`!

More funding ....this time thanks to Asda

On our group Christmas social we were presented with 2 cheques from Asda, £50 for entering their community funding public vote, and also a fantastic additional £300, thanks especially to Sandra Deakin from Asda who nominated Pudsey In Bloom as Asda`s preferred charity to events producer Momentum.

 

We have plans to spend this money on the adjacent piece of land to the one we are currently developing by the leisure centre, it definitely needs working on! Here is what it looks like now:

 

 



More Updates:

Here are the latest photos of the leisure centre garden, it`s really beginning to take shape now:

We have decided to add an extra raised bed next to this one to complete the picture:

Work continues on our current project.

A few of us met today to continue work on the new bed we are creating behind the leisure centre. Funding for this project has been provided by Green Leeds. We now have the go ahead from the council to complete the work so it`s full steam ahead to get done what we can before the on set of any bad weather.
Raised beds have been planted up with a variety of plants, including 2 cherry trees to provide height, and lots of heuchera `purple palace`.

Also we have planted dogwood , both red and yellow along a back wall: Photos and update from today:

 

 

 

 

That time of year again.

On Sunday we started the annual replanting of all the planters for autumn through to spring displays. Planters were emptied, compost topped up and bone meal added. Some of the small shrubs had died off so they were replaced with mini skimmia, heather, ivies and hebes. Then they were all planted up with bellis, pansies and violas, along with the colourful bulbs that are still in the planters we are looking forward once again to some colourful displays. The project at the leisure centre is still on hold for the moment, but hopefully we will get the go ahead to do some planting before colder weather sets in.

Progress to date....

We have been busy working on our new project to develop a planting area behind the leisure centre in the car park....here is the story so far in pictures...

Quite a project to tackle!



Time to consult the plans!




 

Paving slabs expertly laid.

 



Thanks to Farmac for supplying materials at a reasonable cost and delivering.



New raised beds...will soon be ready to plant up.





 

A Splash of late Summer colour....

In the Rotary bed - car park on Robin Lane, and it`s looking good.

It`s a SILVER GILT!!

Fantastic news, this year Pudsey has been awarded Silver Gilt in the Yorkshire In Bloom competition, and that`s despite having to forfeit the spring judging when the town centre looked spectacular this year.
Follow this link to read more and see how others faired.
http://www.yorkshireinbloom.co.uk

France In Bloom.

On a recent visit to Northern France, I took these photos of flower displays in some of their small towns, very pretty!



French version of Maureen`s coffins!

French version of Pudsey Town Hall!

Judge for yourself!

I took these pictures last weekend as the flower troughs on the railings in the town centre have been quite spectacular this summer, but what a shame we have had to remove a number of these due to highways insistence that they are a hazard to pedestrians, they have been relocated to other areas of the town centre, but leaves this area looking very bare and unattractive don`t you think?

 

I am sure Pudsey folk would prefer to see this!

We have made a start!

We are happy to report that we have been successful with our application for Green Leeds Funding,this has allowed us to start work on developing a small garden in the Leisure centre car park:

Many thanks to Jean and Maureen for taking the time to submit the application, and to Lynda who has prepared a design for the garden, and to all others who have helped to get the project underway.

Already the area we are working on is showing signs of improvement, it may not look much at the moment but lots of hard work has gone into starting to clear the area. I will keep the blog updated with photos and dates just in case anyone out there is able to lend a hand :-)

 

Look out for our article in the Squeaker.

One of our members has written an article for the Squeaker...just in case you miss it, here it is:

PUDSEY IN BLOOM JUDGING DAY FRIDAY JULY 12^th

^{We had a beautiful day for the judges’ visit, the town was busy and the plants were looking bright and colourful. We called at the Tripe Baths at Lowtown Gardens, then onto Lowtown School where the children were so enthusiastic it was hard to leave. Next the Crimbles Allotments, immaculate as always, round to Sparrow Park via the newly planted Rotary bed in the car park on Robin Lane, back through Pudsey Park finishing with a walk through the Bus Station and town centre.}

We are hopeful that our efforts around the town were well received, but we will not know the results until September, so fingers crossed!

May we say “thank you”:-

To Lowtown School and Crimbles Allotments for your help with the visit.

To the businesses around the town who help by drawing water for us, especially in the heat of late. Without you the plants will “fry” and keeping up with watering is a hard part of our work, so you are very much appreciated.

To the businesses who sponsor various planters giving us much needed funds.

And, of course, to the Wellbeing fund for the funding to be able to provide the hanging baskets on the Town Hall and the Leisure Centre, (these have suffered from the heat but are starting to “pick up” now) along with other areas of planting. Wellbeing funding is awarded by local ward members through the west (outer) area committee.

Anyone who displayed a poster or did a tidy up.

Finally to the lady who came up to us in the children’s playground and thanked us for our work, that was appreciated and couldn’t have come at a better time, the judges were impressed!!!!

 

Any one free this weekend??

If you have an hour to spare this Sunday we would sure welcome some help!! We are starting our new project that we have received funding for from Green Leeds, it initially involves digging up an area in the leisure Centre car park to make way for a new mini garden...can you help? We will be there from 10.00 am on Sunday 28th July....any help greatly appreciated...bring along a spade! :-0

Remember the Daffodils from GroundWork?

If you remember, or you can refresh your memory by looking back at earlier posts, we were busy last Autumn planting out lots of daffodil bulbs donated to the group by Groundwork. We planted two varieties of tete a tete and some pseudo narcissi bulbs, and we are pleased to say that these made a show, all be it a small one, this spring. But at least they survived enough to take a hold and hopefully will go from strength to strength!


And here they are making their first appearance.



Taken last year, the group busy planting.

 

What a shame that..........

. ..we missed out on our spring judging! We believe that this year was our best ever spring display, with a lovely variety of plants, shrubs and bulbs at their best. In past years we have always picked up our extra points in summer, but this year we feel the YIB judges would definitely have been impressed with Pudsey`s spring displays. All we can do is try impress them with a collection of photos and hope they get the picture across, I`m sure you will agree Pudsey looked super.

Sparrow Park is blooming lovely!

The tulips planted in Sparrow Park by one of our members have really put on a good show, adding plenty of colour to the central bed. In fact the whole area is looking great and it`s good to see people sitting there enjoying it in the recent sunny weather.

More Publicity!

Members of the group have been busy doing their best to heighten awareness of our work. Look out for some new flyers and posters that can be picked up from places like the library, have a read and hopefully it may encourage you to join us! Also check the new publications that are being circulated in Pudsey, like the Squeaker and the Pudsey Observer, both are supporting our work and will carry articles we have submitted, many thanks!

Can you help on Tidy Tuesday?

For the time being, we have added a couple of extra tidy Tuesdays, our next two will be 7th and 21st May, meeting at 10.00 at the Park Gates. There is lots to do especially since we will soon need to empty all the barrier troughs and replant them for summer. We would welcome any extra help, so please come along if you can lend a hand.

Exciting new Projects!

Pudsey In Bloom have some exciting new projects in the pipeline...so watch this space. As usual they will rely on us getting precious funding that we have been busy applying for. It has been confirmed that we have been granted funding again this year from LCC, Well-being funding is awarded by local ward members through the West (outer) area committee and will allow us once again to provide the wonderful floral displays on the town hall and the leisure centre. We also have two other applications in the pipeline, and if successful, we hope to create a lovely space in a sadly neglected piece of ground in the leisure centre car park, this is what it looks like now: But not for long hopefully...updates to follow.

Spring Judging cancelled!

Yorkshire In Bloom have announced today that the spring round of the Yorkshire In Bloom competition has been cancelled due to the adverse weather ...follow this link to read the whole story:
 http://www.yorkshireinbloom.co.uk/default.asp?contentID=145
As a group we are disappointed as we really feel this spring would have been our best display to date, however as our judging date was to be 12th April we can understand how groups due to be judged earlier will feel.

What an improvement!

Back in November, I wrote that we had `earmarked` some money left over from our area management (wellbeing) funding to spruce up the black flower tubs that were looking very neglected in front of the leisure centre, and I am pleased to report that on Sunday some of the group did just that, with a superb result! Thanks again to Lynda for sourcing the wonderful display of plants and to everyone who helped out! I am sure you will agree that the finished result looks fantastic!

BEFORE

Tidy Tuesday!

The new year is off to a good start and we are busy planning for the year ahead. How about joining us on Tidy Tuesdays? A new idea- we plan a regular session the first Tuesday of each month starting in March, to do a general tidy, dead heading, planting etc. If you have an hour to spare we would welcome your help. We will meet at the park gates at 10.00, just bring along your own hand tools. Many hands make light work, and there is lots to do. Hope to see you one of these tuesdays.

 

Two new sponsors.

We have 2 new businesses supporting us by sponsoring flower troughs. Just fixed the transfers in place today, a bit wild and windy...but the job`s done. Thanks to Whitegates and Over the Rainbow Fancy dress hire for their valued support, look out for the new signs next time you are in the town centre.

Some welcome publicity.

The successor to the Pudsey Times, the Pudsey Town Observer has published an article submitted by one of our members. If you haven`t yet received the paper here is a snapshot or follow this link, and find it on page 6:
http://pudseywellbeingcentre.com/uploads/PTO_012013.pdf