A flowerbed based on a piece of child’s artwork and featuring a cheerful NHS rainbow, a big red heart and bright sunshine is Gostrey Meadow’s newest floral centrepiece. 

The carpet bed – flowers and foliage closely planted together to create a design reproduced in flowers – is based on a picture which eight-year-old Amelia from South Farnham Junior School entered into Farnham Town Council’s In Bloom art competition. Amelia recently visited the carpet bed to receive a prize from the Mayor of Farnham and to see the floral recreation of her design.

Councillor Alan Earwaker, Mayor of Farnham says: “Farnham in Bloom is proving to be an important part of helping Farnham emerge from lockdown and the pandemic. We chose Amelia’s design as our winner as it captured so much of what the community feels about the town’s response to COVID.” 

He continues: “The NHS rainbow symbolises what fighting off this terrible disease means – appreciating the people in our health and welfare sectors, whatever their roles, their tireless work and hoping for better times. Alongside the rainbow is a big heart and a bright sun representing how important friends, family and community have been over the past year and the brighter future that we hope isn’t too far away. Amelia showed in her beautiful artwork how so many of us feel.”

Amelia was also joined by members of the Farnham Lions, which sponsored the flower bed located in Gostrey Meadow, a much-loved green space in the heart of the town centre.  

Farnham takes part in the South and South East in Bloom competition each year. Its competition entries have gone from strength to strength, resulting in invitations to enter the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition. Farnham in Bloom mobilises schools, children’s groups, businesses, volunteers and gardeners across the town and surrounding villages to enhance public spaces, business and community locations and even front gardens through planting schemes, community activities and environmental improvements throughout the year.

Despite the pandemic, the town produced an impressive entry to the In Bloom competitions in 2020 and is pulling out all the stops for its 2021 entry.