The troughs and planter at the back of the Hanley centre were starting to look a bit bedraggled and jaded. Anne Webster and Neil Pepper were checking them over one day and the suggestion was made that perhaps some of the service usurers might be interested in “adopting” a container of their own. They would choose and supply their own plants and decide how to set them out and take care of them.

When word of this idea got around, enough interest was expressed for the idea to be put into action. Soon almost all of the planters had become “someone’s”. A service user suggested holding a competition to make it more interesting and as an added incentive.

Everyone thought this was a “blooming” good idea. It was recognised that depending on what kind of plant was chosen, they could blossom and bloom and reach their peak at different times, so one judging wouldn’t be fair.

So Anne Webster (a Buddies Volunteer) and a gardening expert was appointed judge with the remit to check over all the planters every two weeks or so over the period May to October, points being awarded to the planters each time.

To make it even fairer, Anne hasn’t been told which planter is being cared for by whom; they have all been given numbers. The planter that has been given the most points by the end of October will be judged the winner and a prize will be awarded.

The nature of the prize has not been announced as yet, but speculations abound. Everyone has their own idea of what the prize should be, but on one thing they all agree: Fingers crossed it won’t be a trowel with the winner’s name engraved on it!

Dennis Vasey