Norton in Hales and Newport have both taken home gold at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) annual Britain in Bloom competition.
Newport won gold in the town category whilst Norton in Hales picked up a gold award in the village category.
A total of 68 groups from across the UK competed in 12 categories with each also vying for a gold, silver gilt, silver or bronze medal.
Biddulph in Staffordshire, won the hotly contested Large Town category, seeing off finalists including Penrith, Prestatyn and Royal Tunbridge Wells to take the top spot.
Finalists are judged not only on their floral displays but environmental and community efforts. Each was visited by a pair of RHS judges over a fortnight from the end of July.
Darren Share, Chair of the RHS Britain in Bloom judges, said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s UK finalists. It’s incredibly humbling to hear about the huge efforts they’ve invested in making our villages, towns and cities greener places to live, work and visit.
“This makes a tremendous difference locally but has a wider impact too. Gardeners are increasingly having to respond to the changing climate, declining pollinator numbers and plastic waste and more communities are galvanizing people around these issues to bring about positive change.”
The Heart of England finalists collected their awards from Baroness Floella Benjamin, RHS Vice President, at the ceremony held in the RHS Lindley Hall, London.
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