Oxton Village has won the Best Neighbourhood Award in a North West horticulture competition.
More than 1,600 gardening groups competed in this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom campaign, but the Royal Horticultural Society and North West in Bloom awarded Oxton in the Wirral the top regional trophy.
Featuring 48 hanging baskets, the RHS judges said they were impressed by the commitment of Oxton Society volunteers and the floral quality and scale of the project.
Chairwoman of Oxton Society, Rhiannon Evans, told JMU Journalism: “We were delighted when we were shortlisted for the Royal Horticultural Society award and to have won the top North West award was just brilliant.
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“It is a testament to the collaborations between hard working members of the committee and village and businesses. The hanging baskets are central to one of our core purposes and that is to promote the conservation and enhancement of the village.”
Awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating, the society thanked Dovecot Nurseries for providing the hanging baskets and a local plumber, John Booth, for designing and installing an automated sprinkling system, which kept the baskets colourful from June until October.
Local councillor, Paul Doughty, told JMU Journalism: “Oxton village residents led by the society have worked for a good number of years in providing a wonderful display of hanging baskets outside the shops and restaurants in the village centre.
“It has been an instrumental part of making the village the attractive and atmospheric place that it has become.
“The volunteers who have tirelessly over the years watered and tendered the hanging baskets are the real people deserving the praise in receiving this award, as well as the shops and businesses who have helped in sponsoring them.
“It is a credit to them and it is great recognition of the efforts of all those who have been involved in this well-deserved endeavour. I am sure that it will only serve to encourage Oxton Society to continue in their good work and help the residents become even more proud of the lovely village centre that we all enjoy.”