
Friends of Preston Park entered the Rose Garden into the South and South East in Bloom 2024 competition and we are delighted to announce that the Rose Garden was awarded Level 4 – “Thriving” in the “It’s Your Neighbourhood” category. With 4,500 entries participating nationwide and over 300 locally this was a very tough competition and as it was the first time we entered the Rose Garden we can honestly say we are absolutely bowled over with this wonderful achievement. We would like to thank all who contributed to this success; individuals and local businesses who gave us funds to buy tools and plants, David Austin the Rose Grower who donated roses, CityParks for mulch in the winter, our amazing team of volunteers who every Tuesday weed and lovingly tend the plants, and all the residents who enjoy the garden responsibly.
We are hoping to enter the Rose Garden into SSEIB again in 2025 and aim at achieving the highest level, Level 5 – Outstanding, following the advice we were given for improvement. We need to improve the soil of the Rose Garden with some new soil and fertiliser and also tend the herbaceous borders. The volunteers are very keen to replant the East and West borders alongside the Rose Garden, which have been neglected for years. It is a mammoth task, which we started in spring and you may have noticed the new salvias and fuchsias among other plants.
