A review of the year 2023-24
We got a
GOLD
“Hunton is a lovely village and it was a pleasure to be there on a lovely summer day. It was a pleasure to visit such a vibrant, committed group.
The amount of support for the group from the village and the Parish Council is impressive.
The group are using a wide variety of ways to make village dwellers and visitors aware of the group and their activities. The leaflets created by the group telling people about the village and their work there are a lovely idea and very well done. Using a QR code to inform people about the War Memorial is a very exciting idea.
The area around the War Memorial was softly natural and filled well into its surroundings. It was good to see the bug hotel produced by a young village resident.
There is very good provision for wildlife in the village with bird, bat and robin boxes and holes drilled in wood for solitary bees.
Recycling was used widely including plant box banks where people can select and return pots for use. The Pinfold is a lovely feature, beautifully planted and cared for.
The use of sedum roofs on features around the village is an unusual idea.
The planned seating area by the playground will be a useful addition.”
The judge said
September began with
“Donate a daffodil”
Villagers were very generous.
We had over 1400 bulbs!
These were all planted in September and October….….
..not all by Mark!
Early January
5th February – Rijnveld’s “Early Sensation” performed as promised
Elsewhere in the village, the verges were blooming by April.
In November two crab apple trees were planted to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.
This one is “Red Sentinel” the other is “Butterball”
The two crab apple trees in spring with the commemorative plaque
Autumn 2024
Supporters made lots of garden related items to sell at the Craft Fair in November
December was the time to make festive floral table centrepieces for the Seniors’ Christmas Lunch
Much wine was also supped!
Nicky made us some bat boxes and Gareth helped her put them up in suitable spots.
Bats have been spotted using this one near Captain’s Bridge
Spring marked the beginning of the clearing and planting at Conifer Lodge
Before tree removal
Before pruning
During pruning
After pruning and clearing
Preparing the beds and planting
Creative planting on an old tree stump
Weeding and tidying around the War Memorial area
More planting
Brightening up the sink
Beginning to make an impact in early June
Before pruning
After
April
June
June
More creative planting making use of a discarded wheelbarrow
Finlay making a bug house
July…. not long until judging
The Sunflower Competition
Chris and John got off to a good start
Seeds went out with our newsletter in March
But many were ravaged by molluscs
Ronnie’s got rabbited!
Russ tried talking to his……….but to no avail
Ken and Maureen forgot to sow their seeds until very late, but their sunflower topped the charts at 247cm
The winners!
It was dwarfed, however, by Linda’s giant which measured 298cm, winning the Steering Group competition easily
The proceeds from this year’s Woodland Open Day at Crossways were donated to Hunton in Bloom.
Other donations this year have been received from:
Hunton Steam Gathering
GSC Grays
Randall Orchard
HEADS
Hunton Parish Council
The Countryman’s Inn
Various individuals
Funding was also obtained through Councillor Tom Jones from the Locality Budget and North Yorkshire Community Fund
The Pinfold
Before
After
The Pinfold in the spring
In the summer
In the Autumn
The Village Centre
Before
After
Lavender beginning to bloom in time for judging
Autumn 2024
Autumn 2024
The VillageTrail was produced to help showcase our planting areas and other places of interest in the village.
The War Memorial
Before
After
80th Anniversary of D-Day
Church Bank before and after
Unfortunately, a hungry horse leaned over the fence and grazed the sedum
Luckily, it seems to be making a slow, but steady, recovery.
The Wild Hill entrance before and after
And finally…….
The “Greenacres Island” Project
Aim: To provide a planted area overlooking the play park with accessible seating and space for wheelchairs or buggies
We held a well attended coffee morning in January where people were asked for their views on the project. Their was overwhelming support for the proposal.
Maria and Janet then took the plans to the Parish Council who gave us their backing.
Wayne and Poppy trying out the new bench.
“ We aim to enhance the beauty of our village in a way that is in keeping with its rural setting. We will do this in a way that is sustainable, encourages biodiversity and engages with the whole community”