MULTIPLE areas in Tavistock have been deemed ‘outstanding’ by the Royal Horticultural Society in the recently announced Britain in Bloom Competition.

The Tavistock Community Gardening Team, which aims to improve public spaces in Tavistock, the Tavistock Sensory Garden Team and the litter picking group Tidy Tavi were recognised for their efforts in the South West in Bloom competition, gaining top marks from the judges.

The Tavistock Community Gardening Team had been working in five different areas of the town — the Pop-Up Allotment (outside the former Over 60s Rest Room), the Edible Cottage Garden (at the entrance to Bedford Car Park), the Canal Beds (by the tennis courts) and Rose Walk.

Tavistock was given ‘outstanding’ awards for the Pop-Up Allotment, Edible Cottage Garden, Rose Walk, natural burial ground (Plymouth Road Cemetery), the community sensory garden and Tidy Tavi and awarded ‘advancing’ for the Canal Beds and Tavistock Museum.

To achieve an outstanding award, entrants must score above 86%. Advancing means a score of above 50%, with further room for development, but still very worthwhile.

Ali Sedgwick, from the Tavistock Community Gardening Team, said: ‘We are delighted to have had our efforts recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society. Needless to say, we have ambitious plans for the future.’

This is the second year running that Tavistock Sensory Garden has been given the prestigious ‘outstanding’ award by the South West in Bloom judges.

Chairman of the sensory garden Graham Parker said: ‘This is a magnificent achievement. We couldn’t have done this without the wonderful support of our volunteers, our suppliers, the incredibly generous people of Tavistock and our business sponsors. None of this could have happened without the superb sensory garden team.

‘It is unbelievable how much they have achieved in such a short time. This is due to talent, dedication, hard work and incredible teamwork.’

Plans are already in hand to take the ‘outstanding’ sensory garden to the next level.

This includes improving the Rose Walk and the Woodland Walk, getting water into and around the garden, improving disabled access and signage and repairing paving throughout the garden.