October 2023 - Gold in "Britain In Bloom"
September 2022 - Floral Guernsey Main Award
2021 Community Competition Awards - Silver Gilt
Please click here to see award.
2020 - Silver Gilt
Please click here to see award.
2016 Community Competition Awards - Silver Gilt
We are delighted to have received a Silver Gilt Award for the second year running. The judges' feedback after the Awards Night gives us every encouragement that we can achieve a Gold Award. A very big thank you to the band of about 12 people who have worked so hard throughout the last year. We need more volunteers though, if you think you can help, perhaps by agreeing to do an hour a week to suit you for a specific task that would be your responsibility and that you can take pride in then please contact Andrew Courtney 07781 105606 or email andrewcourtney@newtelsurf.com
September 2016
We are delighted to have received the Nature and Conservation Award from Floral Guernsey for our work at Courtil Sous L'Eglise. This is the third time in the four years since the Award was first given. This year was our strongest year yet in terms of how we felt about our entry. We receive many compliments from Community Centre users about how lovely the grounds and garden are, the Rectory looked superb with the addition of wall mangers, the Ste Apolline's Chapel flower borders looked great and, of course, Courtil Sous L'Eglise won an Award. The judges marking was more realistic, perhaps, this year but it was certainly a disappointment to be awarded only Silver in the Community Competition.
May 2016
Everything in the gardens and the meadow is starting to leap ahead in growth now as the weather warms up. The wild flower seeds sown in Courtil Sous L'Eglise have germinated and are growing well. The vegetation along the banks of the douit at Courtil Sous L'Eglise has been cut back to make the stream more visible, particularly for the children who like playing Pooh Sticks from the bridges. It was great to have additional volunteers helping this month. A Team of ladies from St Saviour's WI planted up the 'Formal Bed' at St Saviour's Community Centre following a planting plan devised by their leader, Sharon Williams, in conjunction with advice from Phil Merrien, Manager of the States Parks and Gardens Team. The Sensory Garden planting was completed, many thanks to Sue Chapman for the planning put into this with advice from Nigel Clarke at Queux Patio and The Green Legacy Project. The irrigation system has been completely re-vamped to ensure complete coverage. All beds have been mulched with wood chips to suppress weeds and retain moisture, many thanks to Ric at Wakefield Tree Services for donating the wood chips. The Auberge du Val restaurant and B&B has taken over the planting and maintenance of the wooden planter opposite Courtil Sous L'Eglise, we are very grateful. Planning permission has been received for a new Information Board at St Saviour's Church. This board will provide historic information about the church and cemetery, it is on the Floral St Saviour Walk. We now have to apply for Faculty permission from the Church of England to install the sign on church property, the application has the full support of the Rector and Church Wardens.
April 2016
April has been a busy month:
Floral Walks leaflet
Kindly sponsored by the Auberge du Val with top quality landscape photographs supplied by Nick Despres, we published our Circular Floral Walks leaflet which is available at the Tourist Information Centre and the Auberge du Val. It draws together the key aspects of the floral team's efforts.
New entrance beds at St Saviour's Community Centre
We have created two new beds, one either side of the entrance, which symbolise Lower St Saviour being joined with Upper St Saviour. The bed to the right when entering has a recreation of Le Trepied dolmen whilst that to the left has a miniature reservoir dam wall and jetty (many thanks to Nick Vining who sandblasted the reclaimed granite quoins from the entrance wall that was removed to widen the entrance).
March 2016
The Community Centre entrance area has been transformed this month, the old wall and gates have been removed and new wooden gates allowing two way traffic and pedestrian access. Whilst completing this work two new beds have been created, one either side of the entrance to soften the impact of the tarmac and granite. The beds have been designed to symbolise Lower St Saviour with Le Trepied dolmen to the south and the reservoir dam wall and jetty at Perelle to the north. Pebbles and granite reclaimed from the Vraic drying area at the junction of Route de la Perelle and Bilotterie have been used to create hard landscaping, many thanks to Bonamy Martel for the tractor assistance and La Societe Guernesiaise for giving permission to remove the stone.
February 2016
We had an excellent Working Party at the end of February when we had 8 volunteers working on a pretty cold day. We planted Pyracanthas into the bed by the Emergency Exit to the Centre. This bed was raised by one block height with the assistance of the CEPS Team earlier in the week, it will be rendered during March. The end result will be an effective and wildlife friendly screen for a large blank wall. The Sensory Garden is being prepared for the season. We had a lesson on how to prune Hydrangea, which we were then able to put into practice. We also carried out a general clearing of surplus plants to allow space for existing perennials to spread. The Herb Garden fence has been removed and an area cleared to make way for compost bays that we will introduce in the coming weeks. This will make it easier for volunteers to dispose of gardening waste as it is closer to the source of the waste. We were disappointed to discover that all of the 5,000 crocus corms planted in November have been dug up and eaten by what we believe to be rats. The lesson learned is that the soil should have been well trodden down after planting.
January 2016
A good use for the Christmas tree, creating some bedding for insects in the bug hotel at Courtil Sous L'Eglise. Our first Working party of the year was rained off, this is the first time in 3 years of holding regular Working Parties that this has happened so we cannot complain. We put the time to good use by holding a planning and budgeting meeting at St Saviour's Community Centre.
