COLUMN - Melton In Bloom with Marie Walters
Our gardening volunteers have had the most challenging summer season ever but, being as determined as they are, they have soldiered on as conditions have allowed.
Even so, most of our projects have delivered a less than perfect display due to the extremely hot drought conditions, which meant some of our usual gardening sessions have had to be cut short, or cancelled altogether.
Add to that the need to be economical with watering and it paints a worrying picture.
A lot of our permanent planting has survived well, but some items have given up the ghost.
Our worst outcome has been in the Heritage Garden (located outside the Melton Borough Council offices on Parkside), where we were without our normal water supply over some of the hottest days.
As we have bedding displays there, it is essential they are watered regularly, to maintain the wealth of beautiful long-lasting flowers we usually have, but with no water available, we were bound to end up with plants dying.
Thankfully, the supply has now been restored, and we are doing our best to salvage what we can there.
Our thanks go to Melton Borough Council’s grounds maintenance department, for helping out with a weekly bowser-full of water, which prevented more losses, especially the permanent planting.
The Heritage Garden is such an important project; not only because we need it to look its best for visitors to the town, but also considering the work put into it over the years, involving lots of community groups, businesses, schools, and individual volunteers.
The huge amount of funds raised to create the Heritage Garden also needs to be taken into account, as replacement plants are ever more costly these days.
We will be re-thinking our strategy for next year and the following years to come.
If we are to continue to suffer these hot, dry conditions – which meteorologists believe will be the case – then things will need to change.
We could also think about installing a drip-feed system, which would save more water and help maintain the floral displays to the high standard we can usually expect.