The Wexford in Bloom Committee did fantastic work this summer arranging for the beautiful flower displays around the town, thanks to Beechdale garden center for all of our beautiful flowers. Wexford in Bloom would like to thank everyone who was involved with the flowering especially the businesses on the main street who committed to placing baskets/tubs outside their premises, DoneDeal for their donation to flower the Bullring and the people in the Faythe and William Street who took part in their scheme to flower up their own areas. Thank you also to all the participants of the competition along with our sponsors Wexford Credit Union, and Wexford Municipal District, Wexford County Council for their help and commitment to the project so far.

The Wexford in Bloom Competition judging took place from Monday the 14th July to Friday the 25th July inclusive with all schools judged in June due to access purposes. Judges this year were Mr Chris Maddock from Teagasc, accompanied by PhD students Leanne Roche, Mary Harty and Ian Fox. There was a great selection of gardens for our judges to see this year as people in the community showed off their gardening skills. Well done to everyone who entered we were very impressed. Wexford in Bloom will announce the outcome of the competition and awards at a later point check back here or wexfordinbloom.com

One of Wexford in Bloom’s aims is to promote and encourage people’s interest in the environment and help support the Wexford Tidy Towns Biodiversity Campaign “Let’s Bee Friendly” by helping feed the bees over the summer months. Pledge Your Support by planting some of the recommended pollinator friendly flowers in your garden or following some of the gardening tips to help our bees. Email your pledge to bees@wexfordtidytowns.com or fill out the form on our campaign page to let everyone know how you are helping our bees.

The Wexford in Bloom Committee is delighted to announce that it’s that time of year again, time to show off your gardening skills by entering our Wexford in Bloom Competition 2014 which was recently launched by the committee. There will be an entry fee this year but the committee have endeavoured to keep it as low as possible to encourage people to participate in this annual event. Entry fees for categories are as follows;

• Small Domestic Garden – €5
• Large Domestic Garden – €5
• Housing Estate/Street – €10
• Shop front – €10
• Pub / Courtyard / Beer Garden – €10
• B&B/Guest House – €10
• Hotel – €15
• Schools/community projects are free

Wexford in Bloom would like to encourage people from town and as far as the ring road areas to enter the competition. Application forms are available from Wexford Credit Union Office, Wexford Municipal District Office, Spawell Road, Wexford County Council Reception, Carricklawn, Wexford Town Library, Hassetts Pharmacy, North Main Street, Pettits SuperValu, Key West, Pettits Supervalu, St. Aidan’s Shopping Centre, Dunnes Stores, Redmond Square, Selskar Book Shop, Wexford Book Centre. You can also download an entry form from the Wexford in Bloom website here.

Closing date for entries is Friday 4th of July 2014. Judging will take place from Monday the 14th July to Friday the 25th July inclusive but all schools will be judged in June for access purposes. Judges this year are Mr Chris Maddock from Teagasc, accompanied by PhD students Leanne Roche, Mary Harty and Ian Fox. Wexford in Bloom would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants of the competition along with our sponsors Wexford Credit Union, and Wexford Municipal District, Wexford County Council.

This year the Wexford in Bloom committee worked hand in hand with most of the businesses on the main street who committed to place baskets/tubs outside their premises. Wexford in Bloom worked with the people in the Faythe and William Street who were also eager to light up their areas with multicoloured Blooms. Wexford in Bloom had the pleasure of flowering up the Bullring thanks to DoneDeal, who kindly donated the funds. Wexford in Bloom would also like to thank Wexford Tidy Towns, Wexford Municipal District Council for their help and commitment to the project and Beechdale garden centre for nurturing and caring for all of our beautiful flowers.

Wexford in Bloom hope the Competition will promote and encourage people’s interest in the environment and help support the Wexford Tidy Towns Biodiversity Campaign “Let’s Bee Friendly” by helping feed the bees over the summer months. Pledge Your Support to this campaign. Wexford in Bloom would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is involved with the flowering of Wexford town and its environs’. Have a beautiful fragrant summer.

W.I.B Committee, 2014

Wexford Tidy Town’s “Let’s Bee Friendly” initiative has really started to take hold in the past couple of weeks. The campaign encourages us all to keep under-threat pollinators in mind when planting and looking after our gardens. As last week was National Biodiversity Week garden Centres around Wexford were pulling out the stops encouraging shoppers to include at least one bee-friendly flower in their shopping basket. Wexford Borough Council has been taking a similar approach with its flowerbeds.

Pledge your support by planting at least one of the recommended pollinator friendly flowers in your garden or following some of the gardening tips to help our bees. Email your pledge to bees@wexfordtidytowns.com or fill out the form on our campaign page to let everyone know how you are helping our bees.

These photos show the workers from the Council, along with green-fingered volunteers from the Cornmarket Project, at work on the flowerbeds in the 1798 Street gardens.

To celebrate National Biodiversity Week, Wexford Tidy Towns and Wexford Creamery announce the Wexford Creamery’s sponsorship of a new “bee friendly” flower bed at Rocklands with a selection of wild flowers from Gardening Impulse at Meadows & Byrne. We thank them for their support and encourage people to make a pledge to our 2014 biodiversity ‘Let’s Bee Friendly’ campaign.

Pledge your support by planting at least one of the recommended pollinator friendly flowers in your garden or following some of the gardening tips to help our bees. Email your pledge to bees@wexfordtidytowns.com or fill out the form on our campaign page to let everyone know how you are helping our bees.

This week, 17th – 25th May, is National Biodiversity Week, a week when we are encouraged to explore and celebrate the many different riches with which nature has endowed this island of ours. There are loads of guided walks, talks and treks happening around the country but you can, if you prefer, celebrate it in your own way: all you have to do is take to the great outdoors, open your eyes and take it all in!

“National Biodiversity Week provides us with lots of great opportunities to get up close and personal to nature. Explore and enjoy our unique landscapes, from beaches and bogs, to rivers and urban canals, to forests and mountainsides. It’s amazing what you can discover, even in a familiar place!”

Wexford is spoiled for choice when it comes to biodiversity-rich areas of great scenic beauty whether that be a stroll on the beach, a riverside walk or maybe a trek up the Blackstairs Mountains. Jamestown Nature Reserve, Oylegate, is “a working farm and nature reserve in Wexford that fosters and explores the wonder of natural diversity”. See more at www.jamestownnaturereserve.com

Wexford Tidy Towns has a big biodiversity push on this year under the banner “Let’s Bee Friendly”. The aim is to get us all to plant bee-friendly plants in our gardens. Learn more about how you can help from our gardening tips and be sure to pledge your support to the “Let’s Bee Friendly” campaign!