Horsforth in Bloom has been going since the turn of the millennium, initially in very small numbers and closely in line with the work in Horsforth Hall Park. As time went on, so did the interest of the small group of volunteers who saw and realised the potential of how the, (once village) and now Town could, and should prosper.
We are a properly constituted volunteer organisation with a written Constitution, elected committee including a Chair and Treasurer with an annual AGM every November.
Apart from December we hold a bi-monthly meeting on the last Saturday of the month. The first meeting of the new year is at the end of January and the next would be at the end of March!
As time progressed the Horsforth in Bloom volunteers made great efforts in establishing specific garden areas within Horsforth such as, the Jubilee garden, the Jubilee Clock and Jubilee rose area. To date, apart from the areas mentioned, we have put into the public area:
- Over twenty five (25) wooden and stone planters located in the main areas of Town Street and New Road Side. All the wooden planters were made by the volunteers themselves.
- Other specific areas are the Railway Station plot, leading from Station Road down to platform two of the station itself.
- The Jubilee garden is sited directly outside the Brownlee/Stone building on Town Street and for which Horsforth in Bloom look after
- Horsforth in Bloom has a big connection with the sport stars Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee who in 2012 won gold and silver medals. We commissioned a painting completed by students of the local artist Howard Carlisle. This painting now is hung in the Horsforth Library for all to see.
- A large bed has been planted and maintained near to the Old Ball roundabout.
- A ‘Pollination’ flower bed exists on Church Road. This comprises of two brick edged triangular beds partly built by the junior school of Horsforth St. Margaret’s.
- A designated Herb garden on Broadgate Lane below the doctor’s surgery.
- Forgotten corner which is a small wild garden plot at the top of Newlay Lane at the junction with the A65.
- Old Burial ground on Church Road. This is perhaps the biggest area Horsforth in Bloom look after. It is the over-spill from a now demolished Bell Chapel further down Church Road/Fink Hill. The graves in the Old Burial ground represent many people who had died from cholera. The grounds are predominantly a wild flower meadow. A reference folder is kept in the local library setting out the local history of the grounds.
- Whilst Horsforth Cemetery is not used as a burying ground any more, Horsforth in Bloom do look after a small section where some large oak planters are maintained by the group.
- Any visitor to Horsforth and especially during spring would be hard pressed to ignore the thousands of Daffodils that over the years have been planted along the A6120 Ring Road. This aspect has taken time but it is a striking image that Horsforth is rightly proud of.
- There are two main arterial roads that lead into and out of Horsforth. They are the A65 and the A6120. So as to identify entry into our town, Horsforth in Bloom sort the permission of the Highways Department to place road signs within wooden planters, built by our In Bloom group showing ‘Fair Trade’ and In Bloom logo at two designated boundary areas. A further Fair Trade sign within the third boundary up by Horsforth Golf club was also installed. The two boundaries on the A65, both at and into the town are shown by the Horsforth Crematorium and down by The Forge.