News:

Usk wins another Gold award in the Wales in Bloom competition 2011

Usk Town Gardens competition 2011 Gold award results

June 2011

As we run into the peak summer months communal flower beds should be at their most attractive. This year we have majored on the use of begonias and geraniums in Twyn Square and elsewhere, limiting the use of trailing surfinias to the boxes on the car park wall in the Square. We hope that the colour scheme of red, yellow and white will give pleasure to residents and visitors alike.

A reminder that displays need constant attention to remain in good condition. We thank the volunteers who turn out to de-head and keep the displays looking their best. We meet in Twyn Square at 6.30 p.m. each Wednesday to do no more than an hours’ work there and elsewhere. Any help that can be given will be much appreciated.

The plants have again been supplied by ‘The Willows Nursery’ this year and Russell Walker’s staff are watering and feeding them until mid-September. We have also supplied 53 baskets with plants in our 2011 colours to businesses in Usk and we thank those who have supported us in that respect.

The Town Gardening Competition is being judged on Tuesday 19 July. Results for each class will be announced by 22 July and as last year two champions will be declared one for the highest marks across the residential classes, the other for commercial classes.

The Usk in Bloom Committee is again funding the mowing of grass opposite the primary school so that the eastern approach to Usk looks tidy and well-cared for. We have also re-planted the circular bed in Four Ash Street near the rear entrance to the church. The herbs in that bed suffered damage during severe winter weather and have been replaced with an attractive mix of Berberis, Heuchera and several grasses. The semi-circular bed at the top end of Twyn Square now also has a mix of perennial species inter-planted with attractive seasonal bedding plants.

Usk wins its class in Wales in Bloom 2010

The 2010 Town Competition was judged by our guest judges on Wednesday 21 July, involving the customary nine classes to include residential, public and commercial properties. A growing competition has also been arranged for local schoolchildren.  Download the 2010 winners list.

We appreciate the continued financial support of Usk Town Council for our work. As in previous years we are grateful to the ‘Glen-yr-Afon House Hotel’ for supplying the flowers which decorate Usk Bridge and welcome the ’Three Salmons Hotel’ for their new sponsorship of gravel beds on the Monmouth Road. We also have funding this year from ‘Action Earth’ run by ‘CSV Environment’ which is sponsored by ‘Morrison’s Supermarkets’.

We are always looking for new volunteers to assist with maintaining displays and with other work during July and August. Our work parties meet at 6.30 p.m. in Twyn Square each week for no more than an hour to make sure that our displays remain in good condition and are a pleasure both to residents and visitors to the town. A few of our volunteers prefer to work in the Square on a Monday morning and that is an alternative or those who would find a Wednesday evening inconvenient.

Champions of Class 2009                  Town Competition Winners 2009

Britain in Bloom 2009

Usk had the honour of representing Wales in ‘Britain in Bloom’ in 2009. The town was awarded a Silver Gilt award at a prestigious award ceremony in Torquay in September.

Jon Wheatley and Jeff Bates of the Royal Horticultural Society, who judged the Large Village Class, were especially impressed with the fine community spirit of Usk with so many residents and businesses involved in the campaign. They also thought that the floral displays in Twyn Square were impressive and enjoyed the school gardens and the impressive knowledge of pupil gardeners. The class was very competitive with three gold, four silver gilt and two silver awards and was won by an outstanding entry from Broughshane in Northern Ireland.

Wales in Bloom 2009

Usk has won its class in Wales in Bloom and secured a gold award in 2009 (with 174 points out of 200 - one point more than in 2008). We are the only winners of gold in the competition this year. In our class, the second placed large village had 50 points less than us.

Download the Usk in Bloom Newsletter for 2009

2008 - a Gold Medal

After three years of achieving Silver Gilt standard, in 2008 Usk was awarded a GOLD MEDAL. A Gold Medal score is 170 points and above, out of a possible score of 200 points. Usk recorded a score of 173 points.

In Class 6, Large Village section of the Wales in Bloom competition 2008, Usk secured 1st place with Lampeter in 2nd place.

Other local results: Class 1 City Class-Newport 1st place; Class 4 Small Town-Chepstow 2nd place; Abergavenny merit; Class 7 Village-Raglan 2nd place; Class 9a hotels pubs etc-Milton Hotel Llanwern; Class 11a Commercial etc- Raglan Ford merit.

The gold, silver and bronze awards in the Usk Town Competition 2008.

Usk Wins Wales in Bloom Class 6 again in 2007!

Class 6 Large Village Trophy: 1st:- Usk with a Silver Gilt.

Class 9a Hotels, Guest Houses, Public Houses and Restaurants All Areas: Merit:- Nags Head.

Class 21 Schools Gardening & Environment Competition: Joint Second:- Usk Church in Wales Primary School.

The Winners of the 2007 Usk Town competition  - click for details.

See some pictures of the town in bloom July 2007.

Results of 2006 Competitions

Usk was one of two communities to represent the United Kingdom in Entente Florale (Europe in Bloom) in 2006 and won a Silver Award. Usk also won Class 6 (the large village category) in Wales in Bloom. It is the 25th successive year in which Usk has won a class in the national competition.

Other Usk successes in 2006 were Traditional Fish and Chip Shop (2nd in the hotels, public houses and restaurant class), the Primary School (2nd in the school gardening/environmental class), Manor Court (2nd in the care home/sheltered accommodation class) and The Cross Keys (merit in the public houses class). Local schoolchildren also won awards – Margaret John (5 years old) and Maisy Knee (7) coming second in their painting competitions; Madeline Pritchard (9) and Kay Stone (9) received merit awards in theirs.

See a full list of the 2006 Usk in Bloom town awards.

How we looked in July 2006.