Section A - Horticultural Achievement
In this section the judges will be looking for your year-round achievements in horticulture (including conservation and natural areas) focusing on 5 key factors:
A1. Impact
A2. Horticultural practice
A3. Residential and community gardening
A4. Business areas and premises
A5. Green spaces
Each of these key factors will make up 10% of your overall score and be worth a maximum of 20 points.
The judges will take account of:
| SECTION A: HORTICULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT – 100 points; 50% | |
|---|---|
| A1. IMPACT – 20 points; 10% Impact will be evaluated across the entry, in each area and as a whole |
|
| Colours & Design | Is there a scheme or theme overall and/or in key locations? Are the colours/design suited for the location? |
| Appropriate choice of plants | Are there of too many/too few plants to enhance the area? Are the plants appropriate in terms of flowering period and habit? Is there Sufficient variation, appropriate herbaceous plants? Are there appropriate varieties of both newly planted and recently (up to 5 years) planted areas (including mixes of trees, shrubs and herbaceous planting). Planting could be for foliage effect, bark effect etc. or for a specific purpose (i.e. conservation) or to provide flowering or other effects for a defined period. |
| Special features | Sometimes provided as a focal point, and may include structures or an intensive area of bedding. |
| Presentation | Are areas well presented and maintained? |
| Innovation | Are new and creative ideas evident in the design, colours, themes, plant selection etc.? |
| A2. HORTICULTURAL PRACTICE – 20 points; 10% Horticultural practice in all areas on the tour route will be assessed |
|
| Cultivation and Maintenance | Watering, dead-heading and weeding is important. Appropriate feeding may be necessary. May include irrigation considerations and thinning, trimming or pruning as appropriate. |
| Quality of plants | Good quality plants, obviously flourishing. No obvious signs of pests, diseases or deficiencies. Appropriate size for planting situation, appropriate soil type etc. |
| Sustainability | Sustainability is about ensuring ecological functions, processes, biodiversity and productivity can be maintained and only using resources at a rate at which they can be replenished naturally. You should therefore take into consideration the balance of permanent/sustainable planting vs. seasonal/bedding plants and the timing of displays. |
| New planting | How much new planting has been undertaken on an annual basis? Is there a longer-term plan for the whole area or district etc.? |
| A3. RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY GARDENING – 20 points; 10% | |
| Areas that may be included | Residential - Primarily front gardens/gardens in public view Communal areas - Shared residential & communal spaces Allotments, Public Buildings (grounds of) - includes schools, town halls, libraries, community centres, churches etc. Car parks |
| What is assessed? | This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2. Are these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement? Has the campaign engaged other community groups in improving their own areas and/or included these areas in their own initiatives? |
| A4. BUSINESS AREAS AND PREMISES – 20 points; 10% | |
| Areas that may be included | Retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals (i.e. bus stop, station), fee-paying car parks, farms, rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions and other business premises (i.e. estate agents, law offices…) etc. |
| What is assessed | This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2. Are these areas actively involved in the initiatives of the local bloom campaign? Are their efforts in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement? Support can include: sponsoring displays/planters, actively engaging in horticultural efforts on their own premises, funding bloom initiatives, volunteering/participating in local bloom activities etc. |
| A5. GREEN SPACES – 20 points; 10% | |
| Areas that may be included | Verges, parks and open public spaces including woodlands arboretums, bulb & tree planting initiatives, copse, shelterbelts |
| What is assessed | This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2. Are these areas actively involved in the initiatives of the local bloom campaign? Are their efforts in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement? |
Floral displays are an important element of the Yorkshire in Bloom Campaign, but must be proportionate to the areas of sustainable planting and permanent landscaping within the entry. Floral displays may be present in a number of locations but typically, displays will be located in:
Publicly owned areas, including parks, publicly owned buildings, roadside areas and roundabouts.
Housing and residential areas, residential homes, schools, allotments etc.
Shopping areas, business areas and premises, commercial premises, public houses, hotels, garages, and transport terminals such as bus and train stations.
Yorkshire in Bloom has environmental responsibility at its core and the judges will wish to see permanent/sustainable planting initiatives as well. Landscaped areas with permanent plantings could include any of the areas outlined above as well as:
Woodlands, copse, shelterbelts, verges, parks, public open spaces
Business parks, industrial estates
Screen planting, near factories/industrial areas, eyesores, vacant premises/plots etc.
Amenity planting near residential areas, car parks, shopping areas