Communication & Education

Forging a strong relationship with local media has always been an essential component to the success of Coventry in Bloom. Once again, this year the Coventry Telegraph has put their weight fully behind the ever popular, ‘Best Garden Competition’. The partnership involves regular weekly features dedicated to the competition and also highlights recent developments within the community for Bloom. Coverage generated includes reports on the annual plant giveaway organised by CV One and English Landscapes, the on-going redevelopment of Coventry’s War Memorial Park and the return of Coventry’s ‘Green Fayre’.

Thumbnail : Planting at Sherbourne Fields School : Click image to enlarge

To increase impact and maximise the audience awareness of Coventry’s Bloom campaign, numerous branding and marketing promotional tools have been produced including branded flags which fly high above Millennium Point and University Square. Planter box signs are found in high footfall areas of the city centre, these particular signs are doubly effective as the boxes include eye catching, bright floral displays enhancing the appearance of Coventry’s busier areas. Car park posters have been in abundance throughout the city centre providing low cost, high impact brand awareness; similarly, A4 bin vinyls have been distributed throughout the city, spreading the bloom message further afield than the city centre alone. A double page spread dedicated to Coventry in Bloom was included within the summer edition of CV One’s lifestyle magazine, ‘Feel Alive’ which is delivered to 100,000 homes and businesses within the city, a particularly useful vehicle in promoting the campaign whilst branded roundabout signage supported by local businesses targets passing automotive traffic in and around the city centre.

Thumbnail : Press coverage during the Bloom campaign : Click image to enlarge

As part of the continuing efforts to involve local communities and schools in the Bloom campaign, children from local Potters Green Primary school visited the city centre during November last year to take part in bulb planting, done on behalf of Coventry’s Rotary Club. The children met with members of the Landscapes team at Eventide Homes ahead of creating a purpose built flower bed, planted with vibrant purple crocus bulbs before replacing the turf for the bulbs to grow through, all done to help promote worldwide Polio Awareness.

Thumbnail : Coventry in Bloom poster : Click image to enlarge

Coventry in Bloom partners, ‘Whitefriars Housing Group’ have continued their hard work and dedication in helping to develop local communities by hosting the third, ‘How does your Garden Grow’ project. The competition saw 20 city-wide primary schools competing to win free gardening resources in recognition of their successful attempts to encourage the citizens of tomorrow to better appreciate the environment, eat healthily and get interested in all things green. Competition winners, ‘St Augustine’s Catholic School’ turned home-grown produce into mouth watering meals for their parents, planted seeds and improved the aesthetic appearance of their garden grounds, a much deserving winner.

In September of last year, eco-friendly youngsters at Cardinal Wiseman School met with both the Duchess of Cornwall and gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh. Enthusiastic year 9 students were chosen to represent the Potters Green School at the Clarence House event, ‘A Garden Party to Make a Difference’. Cardinal Wiseman was chosen as one of six schools invited to the event which is organised as part of the initiative to encourage young people to protect the environment and work towards a sustainable future, run by the Prince of Wales. The students took with them the school’s new ark which is home to two Gloucester Old Spot piglets and three Ancona Bantam chickens used to educate pupils in sustainability and recycling.

Hilltop Garden Centre here in Coventry continue to provide their fortnightly gardening advisory sessions to help encourage and teach local people how to tend and care for their gardens. By advising how to improve garden borders and hanging baskets, local experts are taking time to pass on their well established knowledge to local, green fingered enthusiasts.

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