The Mayor of Farnham, Councillor Mike Hodge has visited 16 schools and nurseries to judge entries in this year’s Farnham in Bloom schools’ hanging basket competition and best flower in a boot.

The schools could enter up to seven categories, which also included best school garden, best scarecrow and best anti-litter poster. Entries into the tallest sunflower and biggest pumpkin categories will be judged later in the year.

The hanging baskets were planted by the children in May at the Town Council’s greenhouses. Over the past two months, the young people have taken care of their baskets to make sure they looked their best for judging.

Councillor Mike Hodge, Mayor of Farnham says: “Judging the hanging basket and flower in a boot categories has been the toughest job I’ve had since becoming Mayor. It was plain to see how much creativity and hard work goes into the entries and the passion we saw from the teachers and children alike was just incredible. It was an absolute pleasure to see all the entries and I would like to thank everybody involved for contributing to Farnham in Bloom.”

The winners of the 2017 schools’ competitions include Potters Gate Primary School for the best hanging basket, South Farnham Infants School for their scarecrow, Folly Hill Infants School won the anti-litter poster competition and Badshot Lea Infants School won best garden and best flower in a boot.

The scarecrows are currently displayed in an empty shop front towards the top of the Lion & Lamb Yard and the winning anti-litter poster will soon be displayed in all Farnham Town Council noticeboards. Over the next few weeks, other poster entries will be framed and displayed in Gostrey Meadow by the children’s play area.

Prizes will be presented at the Farnham in Bloom Schools’ Awards at Squire’s Garden Centre on Thursday 12 October. A Mayor’s Special Award will be given to a school that has gone the extra mile in this year’s competition.

The schools’ competition is part of Farnham in Bloom which is sponsored by Specsavers.

ENDS

Notes for editors

The results of the schools’ competitions are as follows:

Hanging Baskets 

1^st – Potters Gate Primary School

2^nd – All Saints Tilford School

3^rd – In joint place: Saint Andrew’s Infant School & The Ridgeway Community School

Very highly commended – The Abbey School

Very highly commended – South Farnham Junior School

Very highly commended – William Cobbett School

Very highly commended – Westchester Nursery

Highly Commended – South Farnham Junior School

Highly commended – Rowledge Primary School

Highly Commended – South Farnham Infants School

Highly Commended – Potters Gate Primary

Highly Commended – St Mary’s

Highly commended –Folly Hill Infants School

Highly commended – Hale

Highly Commended – Badshot Lea

Highly commended – Highfield South Farnham School

Highly commended – Tootsies Nursery

Scarecrows

1^st – South Farnham Infants School

2^nd  – St Andrews Infant School

3^rd – Potters Gate Primary School

Flower in a Boot

1^st – Badshot Lea Infant School

2^nd – Potters Gate Primary School

3^rd- – The Abbey School

Very highly commended – South Farnham Junior School

Very highly commended – Folly Hill Infants School

Highly commended – Highfield South Farnham School

Highly commended –  Saint Andrew’s Infant School

Best School Garden in the Secret Gardens competition

1^st – Badshot Lea Infants School

2^nd – The Ridgeway Community School

3^rd – William Cobbett School

Very highly commended – Folly Hill Infants School

Highly commended – Highfield South Farnham School

Highly commended – Potters Gate Primary School

Highly commended – Saint Andrew’s Infant School

Best anti-litter poster

Gold – Folly Hill Infants

Silver – Folly Hill Infants

Bronze – South Farnham Infant School