Cliftonville in Bloom competition now open!

By Jodie Nesling, GRASS Cliftonville committee member.

The best gardening competition is BACK – the beloved date in the Cliftonville calendar where green-fingered gurus showcase their gardening prowess.

I’ve lived here for eight years but have never entered – until now. Why? A million reasons but insert any of the following: not a guru/no time/not for me/can’t garden. But, following seismic events, my perspective has shifted for the better. From helping out at the GRASS community garden to watering my cat-ravaged house foliage – gardening is good for the soul.

To be clear: I’m entering a gardening competition even though I frequently assassinate all my house plants and thought rhododendron was a place in Wales.

Because if the pandemic has taught me anything – and it wasn’t becoming honed like Sarah Connor from Terminator as I dreamed – it’s we’re all gurus when we enjoy what we do. In Bloom unites our community and now is the time to start plotting your potting- the rewards are blooming great. Gardening chimes with our ancient relationship with the earth but before I descend into a rabbit-hole of ‘are humans, plants?’ ‘do I need to water myself’ thought conundrum…let’s go back to school and remind ourselves how to appreciate plants.

Who remembers the shock of green hair shooting from an egg cup after planting their cress seeds? Who loves the simplicity of a bunch of daffodils? Who wills the little snowdrops on as they heroically tear through frozen soil? So, let’s grow together and enjoy our experiences. SHARE your photos, stories, tips and disasters with us at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter – get sewing and have fun.

For details, and to sign up, please visit Cliftonville in Bloom.