Autumn to Winter Changeover of the Planters 2022

As Summer ends and Autumn and Winter beckon, Stony in Bloom volunteers have to take out the summer plants from the planters and replace them with winter flowers that can withstand frost. Pat Kyd, Vice-Chair and Horticultural Advisor for SSIB, masterminds this massive operation. Stony in Bloom also gains considerable support from the Business Association/Christmas Lights Team with the changeover – helping SSIB to bring down the summer baskets, to put up the winter baskets and to take away the summer-only planters to their resting place at Preston Bissett Nursery.

Pat ordered and collected the winter plants and brought the planting plan to the York House polytunnel for a work party where they were planted in the baskets.

Two days later, SSIB volunteers could be seen taking out the geraniums from the planters around the town and from the Wolverton Rd Roundabout. We hate to see plants going to waste, so had a ‘giveaway table’ on the High St for passers-by to take any geraniums they wanted.

The following day SSIB volunteers gathered around different planters to do the planting up.

It’s always a shame to take out the gloriously vibrant geraniums, but pansies, heuchera and polyanthus brighten the town up too and are more suited to the winter weather.