Bath is taking part in Britain in Bloom again this year, and across the city, greenery is being planted, pruned and pampered in preparation.

As lockdown slowly lifts, the flowers start to open. Bath explodes into colour; it’s famous white washed walls are now punctuated with flecks of pink, yellow, and green.

The Britain in Bloom competition, run by the Royal Horticultural Society is an opportunity for cities, towns and villages across the U.K. to show just how green their community’s fingers really are. The three ‘core pillars’ that entrants are assessed on are: Horticultural Excellence, Environmental Responsibility, and Community Participation.

The local heats for Britain in Bloom are called South West in Bloom, and each constituent area of the South West, including Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, South Gloucestershire and most of Wiltshire, and Bath compete.

Bath has a rich history of doing incredibly well in horticultural competitions, but this year’s Bath in Bloom has an even deeper resonance. This year’s Bath in Bloom has been an opportunity for the community to reconnect after a period lockdowns and isolation for many in our city.

Work is well under way. Already, more than 1700 new trees have been planted, and the raised beds that line many of Bath’s streets are full of new flowers, fizzing with colour.

One of the key projects for this year’s volunteers is to plant the fountain at Terrace Walk, locally known as “Bog Island”. In preparation for the day of judging on the 07.07.21, Bath in Bloom will fund and plant up the base of this beautiful 19th century fountain.

Bath in Bloom also has projects all year round, encouraging eco-conscious living in and around Bath.

Words by Jonathan R Parsonage