Usk in Bloom Spring Report 2021
Published: 06 May 2021
I am sure all of us have great expectations for the Summer of 2021. We certainly have this being our 41st year of planting and maintaining the public floral displays in Usk and completing in Wales and Britain in Bloom competitions
Our Spring floral displays bloomed in style. We were very proud how they looked this spring especially as this was supported by the 2021 (5000) new bulbs project we enhanced and extended areas around Town in the Winter / Spring period extra daffodils were mixed with colourful newly planted red tulips and were abundant in areas around Usk, all setting a wonderful backdrop to visitors and residents. We plan to continue and extend this again in the Autumn of 2021 and increase the mixed display in other areas throughout the town.
The spring annual Maintenance of the following: Perennial Beds, Girl guide garden, Park Project, Lady Hill beds, School Beds and Conigar Beds. This task goes sometimes unnoticed but is completed by Usk in Bloom fantastic Volunteers with enthusiasm every year.
Summer planning and preparation, The Wildflower areas opposite the school have this year been extend and enlarged up to 100 meters and with a good growing season should provide a fantastic entrance to Usk from the A449. The second area of Wildflower planting is at Saint Marys Church path these have been enhanced on last year and with the addition of Sunflowers again this year should again offer an impressive visual display to the residents who walk along this route.
The Coop Entrance and seating area has been planned to move from bedding to perennial planting using peat free compost this will be completed in May 2021 and offer sustainable planting and displays along with environmental consideration going ahead.
We have worked with many community groups this spring on improvement and planning for summer 2021 and going forward some examples being the WI, Natural Resources Wales, Western Power, Usk School and PTA, Usk Environmental Groups.
Summer 2021 Theme choice for the Usk in Bloom is ‘New Dawn’ – in honour of the vaccine breakthrough. The main palette would therefore be White, Shades of Blue and shades of Apricot/Peach/Pink. The Main Square and Town outlining containers will be filled using these colours.
The butterfly bed will remain a celebration of the NHS in light blue and white with a red heart as 2020 and the WI beds will be colour coded green and white in celebration of 100 years of the WI.
We will make Usk bloom again in 2021 and hopefully offering wellbeing, mindfulness and joy to visitors and the local community.
David Williams
chair@uskinbloom.org.uk