'Showcasing the brilliance of Sark'

Monday 05 August 2019

Today, Britain in Bloom judges from the Royal Horticultural Society will be arriving in Sark to judge the island's entry into the Coastal Category of the national competition.

Ann Holland and Jate Dagnell will see a year’s worth of work in horticulture and environment and visit The Seigneurie Gardens and Stock’s Hotel permaculture garden.

Travel will be by traditional horse and carriage driven by local carriage owners starting at The Eperquerie and ending in Little Sark. Sark Community Blooms steering group hope that they will judge all the rigorous criteria set by the R.H.S at a high enough level to achieve gold standard this year. 

"It is quite astonishing that a such a small community can produce such high standards year after year.  Yet here we are again only two years after narrowly missing out on the Gold standard to showcase the brilliance of Sark.  The band of blooming ninjas has excelled themselves again," said Sark Seigneur, Major Christopher Beaumont, who is the patron of Sark Community Blooms. 

"They have galvanised a huge swathe of the local population, very enthusiastically assisted by many pupils in our school, to take part in projects small and large across Sark which have raised the standard island wide.  All the areas that looked great last time look even better this year and they have found time to improve new areas, around La Coupe is a prime example.  Everyone has embraced the call to arms; as a result the island has never looked better."

The judging route starts at The Eperquerie at 09:00 then proceeds into the village where there will be a short presentation about the work of the group at The Societe Sercquaise room next to the Visitor Centre. Following that the judges will stroll down to Stocks Hotel and, after visiting the permaculture garden, will continue by carriage to view Sark Community Blooms latest project at La Coupee before going on to Little Sark.

After the judging, judges and Sark Community Bloom Steering Group have been invited to lunch in the beautiful gardens of La Sablonnerie Hotel at approximately 12:00. 

Pictured top: the bridge between Little Sark and Sark.