Certificates and awards were handed out to budding young gardeners of the future at an annual event in Bury St Edmunds.
Over 200 family and friends of all ages attended the Young Green Fingers presentation held at the Athenaeum, on Tuesday, including pupils from nine schools across the town who participated in the initiative run by Bury in Bloom.
And there were cheers and joyous whoops of delight as they each made their way up to be presented with their awards before having their photographs taken with Adrian Bloom, from Bressingham Gardens; Nick Evans, director of sales and marketing at Treatt and sponsor of Bury in Bloom’s Young and Senior Green Fingers; and Patrick Chung, from Bury St Edmunds Town Council.
Gold Awards went to Abbots Green Primary School, Guildhall Feoffment Primary School, Hardwick Primary School, Priory School, Sextons Manor Primary School and St Edmunds Primary School; Silver Gilt Awards to County Upper School and Tollgate Primary School; and a Silver Award to St Benedicts School with them all getting special recognition for their environmental and horticultural excellence.
Star Gardeners awards were also presented to pupils at the various schools for their special contribution to their gardens.
They were Joe Tully, from Abbots Green Primary School; Keeley Pope and Imogen Ranson, from Tollgate Primary School; Owen Jones, from County Upper School; and Rae Saunders, from Priory School.
The Crop to Fork certificates was awarded to Emma Godfrey, from St Edmunds Primary School, for the best use of school produce, and Harwick Primary School won the main accolade of the evening the Outstanding Achievement Award for their high standards of gardening at the school.
Jean Hardy, the Young Green Fingers co-ordinator, said: “The awards are not all about perfect gardening but just trying to encourage children to become involved and growing the gardeners of the future.”
There was also the presentation of the Crafty Creatures prizes by Michelle Freeman from the Crafty Foxes which encouraged children to use recycled containers to create a creature with a plant, flower or seed inside.
The winner of the 8s and under was George Logan, with second place going to Blaze Indian and Ashton Messenger, with Kelly Staveley and Beth Michael, third. The nine to 15s was won by Jake Chapple, Connor Ranson and Will Chapman; second was Michael Mhende, Eddison Flint and Jack Patterson, and third Kayleigh Walker with a special mention for Francesca Freeman. The 16s and over winners was
Elyse Wiggins, second Dylan Butcher and third Mary Purvis.
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