Wednesday 15 July was Sherborne’s judgement day when the Southwest In Bloom judges visited the town. We escorted Barry Cruse and Kim Parrish, the two judges, on tour around the town.

We started off from the Council Chamber and then embarked on a route which took in (we hope!) the highlights of the town.

We ended up in the Butterfly House at Castle Gardens after visiting the Paddock Garden, Cheap Street, the Station, the Pageant Gardens, the Police Station, the Abbey, Sherborne Primary School, the ‘tip’ and the Castle (and a few more places in between).

Now we wait for September, to find out how we did.

A lot of people did a lot of work to make the day go well. We were lucky and it didn’t rain and Barry Cruse was in a fairly good mood because that day was his birthday

Thanks to everyone who helped. Now let’s look forward to the photo exhibition in the Cheap Street Church Hall, starting Tuesday 21 July. See you there!

In the Acreman Street car park there is a strip of land alongside the ticket machine which has been converted into a wonderful wildlife garden by local resident Doreen Rose.

This previously unloved plot of land has been transformed into a mass of wild flowers providing a haven for birds, butterfiles, bees and other wildlife.

Read Doreen’s account of how she started the garden and see more pictures on the Acreman Street Car Park page.

This is a truly remarkable achievement and an inspiration to us all.

Congratulations, Doreen, keep it going!

The Almshouse of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist

In mediaeval times and later it was the custom, every Midsummer night, for a garland to be hung at the door by the Almsmen and watched until the next morning in memory of St John the Baptist.

Thanks to a bequest of the late Lady Margaret Thornton this custom has been restored and a garland of fresh flowers is hung in the courtyard of the almshouses on the 24 June, St John the Baptist Day.

(research by Brian Haigh)

Sherborne Abbey is a favourite venue for summer weddings and the flower arrangements for these events are always spectacular.

Here’s just one example of the exquisite blooms on show in the Abbey this week:

Abbey flowers are arranged by Vera Fermin and her talented team of flower arrangers. Well done to them all!

It’s not only worms to be found in compost bins: this one in a back garden in St Catherine’s Crescent had been occupied by a swarm of honey bees!

The bees had taken up residence and were already in the business of furnishing their new home with wax honeycomb:

A team of volunteer beekeepers arrived to repatriate them to a more amenable environment:

The bees were gently moved out of the hive using a dustpan and brush (traditional beekeeping equipment!)…

… and into a straw skep ready for transporting to their new home:

Two of the beekeepers in the picture were beginners and this was their first experience of collecting a swarm. After this unusual initiation into the craft of beekeeping the pair took the bees away in the skep and introduced them into a nice comfortable beehive sited on their nearby farm.

Happy endings all round!

Pictures by Gillian Gunner.

The gardens of Sherborne are now beginning to bloom in a spectacular way.

Gardener Betty Deavin, who is a member of Sherborne Bradford Abbas Camera Club, sent in these beautiful photos she took in her own garden:

And, as if to demonstrate that Sherborne In Bloom is about wildlife too, she also sent in this photo of a little friend who has adopted her garden!

Well done, Betty – look forward to seeing more of your blooms!

Castle Gardens is Sherborne’s local garden centre and is also one of the main sponsors of Sherborne In Bloom.

At this time of year it is an irresistible lure for gardeners of all persuasions. Not only flowers but fruit and vegetables, shrubs, tubs and teddy bears – all are on display in this stunning garden showcase:

Castle Gardens is situated right next to the Castle in New Road and is well worth a visit!

There are fruit trees blossoming all around the town at present and it’s hard to know which are the most beautiful.

What really catches the eye is when there are a row of trees all in perfect bloom. These cherry trees in East Mill Lane take some beating:

On a spring day, with a blue sky, what a sight to gladden the eye!

Sherborne is a small town and many of the houses have very small, or indeed no, front gardens and they face right onto the street.

They often make up for this lack of front garden space by growing glorious climbing shrubs and trees.

This wisteria is a case in point. What a wonderful display to gladden the hearts of the passers-by!

The spring hanging baskets in Cheap Street are still putting on a brave show in late April:

(unlike these two little shoppers who have to take the weight off their feet!)