Autumn/Winter Changeover 2021

Changing from summer to winter is always a massive combined operation by Stony Stratford in Bloom volunteers and the Business Association/Christmas Lights Team and lasts over several days

Vice-Chair Pat Kyd organised the plant order for the winter planters and took delivery. The next stage in the operation was taking out the generaniums from the planters, which took place on Oct 23rd – with some volunteers stationed at the Wolverton Rd Roundabout, and others starting at the petal planter in the Market Square. We had a Give-away Table on the High St for the geraniums, which passers-by could take and over-winter in the window-sills. Some of the spent compost and any plants that couldn’t be given away, or planted at York House Community Gardens, was put in the York House Compost bins, ready to use on the beds later in the year.

On the Sunday, the Business Association and Christmas Lights Team kindly collected the winter baskets from the polytunnel, which SSIB volunteers had planted with pansies and bulbs, and then hung them above the octagons and on the Wolverton Rd Roundabout. They also took down the summer planters and barrier baskets and returned them to Preston Bissett Nursery ready to be planted up the following summer.

And finally, on the Monday, SSIB volunteers planted pansies, polyanthus, bulbs and Ivy in the planters around the town and on the Wolverton Rd Roundabout, to ensure that the town blooms cheerfully throughout the autumn, winter and spring. (Photos of the different stages in the operation.)