Date: 26 March 2007
Originally published in: Bury Free Press (UK)
Written by:
Gardening guru Kim Wilde is hoping to sow the seeds of success at the launch of Bury in Bloom 2007.
The pop princess turned garden designer will help to kick start the floral competition at the Athenaeum, in Bury St Edmunds, on Tuesday.
Kim, who co-presents the Chelsea Flower Show on television, said: “I am really looking forward to coming to Bury and listening to all the stories people have to tell me. Bury in Bloom is one of those projects where you can see communities come together to make their patch beautiful, which can be a very simple thing to do.”
This year, organisers chose the theme of Blooming Wild to inspire schools, allotment holders, streets and businesses to get involved with projects to encourage wildlife in the garden.
Gardeners will be digging deep to impress Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) judges as Bury represents the Eastern region in the prestigious Britain in Bloom awards.
Kim, 47, who won a gold medal at Chelsea in 2005 for her Cumbrian Fellside Garden, hopes the competition will spark interest in natural planting.
“The RHS has a habit of bringing out the best in people and it is incredible how it motivates people in a very good way,” she said. “It does not matter if you have only got a window box, you can still encourage the natural world to come to your patio.”
The 1980s pop star, who had hits with Kids in America and You Keep Me Hangin’ On, first discovered a love of gardening while pregnant with her first child, Harry, in 1998. Now the mother of two is embarking on a European tour promoting her single ‘Together We Belong’ from the new album ‘Never Say Never’.
She said: “It has been great fun tapping back into my old career but if I had to choose between the two, I would pick gardening as I just could not live without it now. I like to think if people see me, an 80s pop star, running around a garden they will think ‘if she can do it, so can I’.”
Julia Rackowe, Bury in Bloom campaign manager, said: “We are delighted we have managed to get Kim Wilde to come along to help us launch this year’s campaign. One of the reasons Bury is so successful in the In Bloom competitions is because of the high profile we have in the town which, in turn, encourages people to do their bit to make Bury bloom.”