🌸 Blooming Brilliant: The Story of New Brighton in Bloom

If you’d wandered down Victoria Road in New Brighton back in early 2018, you might have noticed a bit of a bleak canvas—tired concrete corners, unloved traffic boxes, a street needing more than just sunlight. It needed imagination. It needed someone willing to plant a seed.

www.newbrightoninbloom.org

Enter Vicky Phillips-Jones. With determination in her heart and compost under her fingernails, she planted the first pot of daisies and petunias. That tiny gesture sparked something remarkable. Today, thanks to that spark, New Brighton pulses with colourful life, thanks entirely to the volunteer gardeners of New Brighton in Bloom.

From Concrete Corners to Community Pride

It started modestly—no council cash, no formal grants. Just passionate locals, donated plants, and cups of tea shared between neighbours. Within months, what began as a few pots along Victoria Road grew into a thriving collection of over a hundred planters, boats repurposed into flower beds, and even gardens designed specifically for pollinators.

But here’s the real magic: the blooms aren’t just decoration. Each flower bed tells a story about community, friendship, and pride. It whispers that someone cares enough to kneel on damp pavements, hands muddy and backs sore, to plant seeds that brighten everyone’s day.

When Judges Stopped and Smiled

Fast-forward to summer 2024: RHS judges are wandering along the promenade. They pause at the lovingly tended boats bursting with colour. They chat with volunteers, neighbours, and local business owners, all passionate advocates for their blossoming town.

When awards night came, New Brighton didn’t just receive recognition; they walked away with a Gold Medal and the title Best Small Coastal Resort in the North West. This wasn’t simply about flowers—it was acknowledgment that community passion, planted deeply enough, can transform entire towns.

Why Flowers Make Life Better (Seriously)

Don’t underestimate flowers. They do more than look pretty—they genuinely transform our moods and our neighbourhoods. Studies confirm what we instinctively know: blooms boost mental health, encourage social interaction, and strengthen our sense of place. That cheerful planter outside the café? It invites you to pause, connect, and smile. That’s floral power.

Lessons from Jersey: How a Seaside Island Got it Right

Jersey Battle of flowers festival

Across the sea, the island of Jersey has perfected this art of floral hospitality. Wander through any village or step into any pub there, and flowers spill from hanging baskets, tumble from window boxes, and frame doorways with bursts of vibrant colour. Each pub, each shop, even the simplest street corner says clearly: “Welcome, you’re among friends.”

Jersey’s floral heritage isn’t just tradition—it’s their way of life. The famous Battle of Flowers, held every summer since 1902, sees parades adorned with millions of petals, drawing crowds who bask in that delightful mix of floral joy and community pride. Jersey proves that flowers don’t just decorate places—they breathe life into them.

Bringing Jersey’s Spirit to New Brighton’s Shores

That same spirit now thrives here in New Brighton. The town’s floral renaissance isn’t about imitating anyone—it’s about rekindling that timeless seaside warmth that flowers uniquely deliver.

When you sit outside a local café framed by bright geraniums, or stroll past boats turned gardens along the promenade, you don’t just see flowers. You feel the same embrace Jersey gives its visitors, only right here at home.

Voices from the Flowerbeds

One volunteer joked recently, “Whoever said this was glamorous clearly hasn’t spent Saturday morning scrubbing planters on Victoria Road!” But ask any volunteer, and they’ll admit it’s worth every muddy moment. They’re gardeners, yes—but they're also community-builders, and they know it.

Every day, passers-by stop and say, “This looks amazing!” Conversations spark between strangers, friendships blossom along with the flowers, and suddenly New Brighton feels a little closer, a little warmer.

How You Can Write Yourself into This Story

Want to join this floral movement? You don’t need special skills—just enthusiasm and willingness:

• Adopt a Pot: Care for your own little corner of brightness.

• Get Your Hands Dirty: Join group planting days, laughing over spades and coffee.

• Grow Some Seedlings: Even your greenhouse plants can star in next season’s displays.

• Sponsor a Display: From just £5 a month, you or your business can put your name to this community pride.

When you plant your first flower and watch it bloom, you’ll know exactly why this matters.

🎉 The Real Reason We Need Flowers (Especially Here)

Let’s cut to the chase: flowers are never just flowers. They’re powerful, living symbols that say, “This place matters. These people care.” When you pass by New Brighton’s planters today, you’re not just seeing pretty petals; you're seeing a collective declaration of pride and community spirit.

Five years ago, these streets felt grey and neglected. Today, vibrant blooms frame sea views, cafés feel like living postcards, and people pause to smile at strangers. It’s community storytelling at its finest—crafted petal by petal, moment by moment.

And that’s why New Brighton in Bloom isn’t just about gardening. It’s about reclaiming our identity, celebrating our seaside roots, and showing everyone, clearly and colourfully, that community can blossom anywhere.

Let’s keep planting. Let’s keep blooming. Let’s keep New Brighton beautiful.