Scores of green-fingered residents at a city nursing home are again making preparations for the annual Swansea in Bloom competition.
The residents of Hengoed on Cefn Hengoed Road in Winch Wen have started making their potted plants and hanging baskets look as beautiful as possible in the build-up to submitting their yearly entry.
Swansea in Bloom is an annual competition run by Swansea Council aimed at making Swansea a more attractive place to live, work and visit.
The Hengoed residents have won the care and sheltered accommodation category for the last three years and are looking to make it four on the trot.
The home makes up about eight acres of land with five separate gardens and several patio areas.
Tim Williams, a member of staff at Hengoed, helps to oversee their Swansea in Bloom entry.
He said: “Many of the residents in Hengoed have a huge amount of gardening experience and we try to involve as many people as we can in the Swansea in Bloom entry.
“It’s important we spend as much time as possible on the plants when the sun comes out and the combined knowledge of over 100 residents is invaluable because many of them used to take great pride in looking after their gardens in their own homes.
“The residents at the home change over the years but we always have a hardcore of about 20 people who are actively involved.
“The next two or three weeks will see all the preparations put in place and the residents will be out about watering the plants every morning and making sure everything is going according to plan.
“It’s a very much a team effort and one of our residents, a lady named Muriel Carter, was on hand at the Brangwyn Hall last September to pick up the award on behalf of Hengoed.
“Swansea in Bloom is something the staff and residents very much look forward to.”
Swansea in Bloom is now in its 17th year and was originally set up by a voluntary committee to encourage more floral displays in the city.
Other categories include best allotment plot, best new entrant, best pub, best restaurant, best cafe, the green gardener award, the young gardeners sunflower competition and best container garden.
Thirteen-year-old Jessica Richards, of Pontarddulais Comprehensive School, has won the young gardeners sunflower competition several years on the bounce and it seems gardening skills run in the family. Mum Jayne, her partner Andrew Taylor and neighbour Sylvia Killa, all of Maes Teg in Pontarddulais, opened up combined gardens last year to raise money for charity. They ended up contributing more than £1,500 towards the Breast Care Unit at Llanelli’s Prince Philip Hospital and the Rachel Waters Remembrance Fund for Wales Air Ambulance.
Jayne said: “It never ceases to amaze me how generous people are. We were delighted to raise so much money for two wonderful causes and I’d like to thank everyone who made a donation.”
Application forms are now available for Swansea in Bloom that offer people the chance to nominate either others or themselves for an award.
A deadline of Friday July 2 has been set for entries and people are encouraged to use environmentally-friendly methods.
All Swansea in Bloom entrants will receive a 10 per cent discount at the Friends of Botanics Plant Sales held every Saturday until September 25 between 10am to 2pm at the Botanical Gardens in Singleton Park.
Have a look at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseainbloom for more information or call 01792 635124.
All entries received before Friday June 4 will be entered into a prize draw with prizes including an overnight stay and meal for two in the 5-star Morgans Hotel, four tickets to see a repertory show at Swansea Grand Theatre and four tickets to Outdoor Shakespeare.
