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Date: 03 Nov 2023
Category: Supporting communities
The Errigle Inn, Granny Annies and Ten Square Hotel have scooped top honours at this year’s ‘Belfast in Bloom’ competition - now in its 30th year, run by Belfast City Council.
While residents from across the city have picked up individual awards in categories for ‘Best Front Garden’, ‘Best Hanging Basket’ and ‘Best Window Box’.
Local community groups have also been recognised for their transformational, green-fingered projects – among these Restore Glandore ATC Community Group in north Belfast winning the ‘Best Community Street’ award and Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden in the south of the city - ‘Best Community Garden’ award.
A special ceremony took place at Malone House on Thursday 2 November for the winners and runners-up of the competition.
Presenting the awards, Lord Mayor Councillor Ryan Murphy, said: “Our Belfast in Bloom competition has been running for an incredible 30 years now and we want to thank all the people, community groups and businesses right across the city who have entered over the years and, in particular, this year. Your amazing green-fingered and transformational gardening efforts have continued to make our city blossom and bring a smile to many faces.
“This fine work has wider environmental benefits and is great for nature, whilst also contributing to council’s commitment to tackling climate change.
“Gardening by yourself or with others, as shown through some of these wonderful projects that have won awards this year, is also said to bring important physical and mental well-being benefits.
“Well done to all the winners and runners-up of Belfast in Bloom 2023 and thanks for your fantastic work and efforts in making Belfast bloom year after year!”
In the commercial categories of the competition, The Errigle Inn on the Ormeau Road won the ‘Best Public House’ award for its “well maintained, vibrant floral display along one of the city’s main arterial routes”.
Ten Square Hotel in the city centre scooped the ‘Best Hotel’ award with judges praising its “mix of seasonal and evergreen plants adding to the outdoor space created on Donegall Square South”.
While Granny Annies on Chichester Street was honoured for ‘Best Restaurant’ with judges being wowed by its vibrant, colourful hanging baskets and boxes surrounding the premises.
SPAR Malone Road picked up the ‘Best Commercial Premises’ award with judges remarking on “its planting around the forecourt with a mix of shrubs and perennial flowers chosen to extend the flowering season, providing food for pollinators too”. The judges also praised the great community involvement with work carried out by volunteers from Sans Souci Residents Association.
Union Street (Maverick Bar) won the award for ‘Best Commercial Street’ with judges noting “the great effort being made to add floral colour to the street with hanging and manger baskets adding seasonal colour and large planters with permanent evergreen shrubs”.
Other worthy winners were Restore Glandore ATC Community Group scooping the accolade for ‘Best Community Street’. Residents from Glandore Avenue and surrounding streets, businesses and community organisations came together with the aim of improving their local community/environment. Flower baskets were installed on lampposts along Glandore Avenue with 28 new trees also planted on the street with seasonal plants and local wildflower seeds too.
Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden was awarded ‘Best Community Garden’ in the city with judges commenting that it was “a haven for all that entered it” due to its well-tended vegetable plots, flowers, orchard and wildlife pond.
Belvoir Area Residents Group (BARG) won the ‘Best Community Group’ award.
In the ‘Best School Garden’ category, Fane Street Primary School in south Belfast, Dundela Infants School in the east of the city and St John the Baptist Primary School in west Belfast celebrated wins.
The full list of awards winners is at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastinbloom