Gardeners chosen as expert judges

Ruth Miles has been chosen as a regional Britain in Bloom judge

A group of green-fingered experts from Somerset have been selected to become Green Flag and Britain in Bloom judges.

Rob Thurston and Cathy Day, officers at Mendip District Council, are qualified horticulturalists who will join the Green Flag judging panel.

Ruth Miles, also from the district council, has been chosen as a Britain in Bloom judge.

The group hopes the experience of being judges will benefit their work with the streets and landscapes team in Mendip.

The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales, and recognises the best green spaces in the country.

Rob Thurston and Cathy Day have been selected as Green Flag judges

Rob Thurston, who manages the council's department which deals with street cleaning and ground-care, said: "Becoming a judge is a chance for me to retain professional interest and maintain my levels of expertise."

As part of their training, Rob and Cathy will have to work with other judges to ensure that there is a common approach to assessing parks and green spaces.

Cathy Day, who is the team leader for street scene services, said: "There is no indication what judging assignments will be given to us, but it can range from small local open spaces to major parks, and we are expecting to start judging in the spring or summer."

Britain in Bloom has 10 entry categories, based on the population of each entry.

Within each category communities of similar size are encouraged to compete with each other in the imaginative planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping and in dealing with issues of litter, graffiti and vandalism.

Ruth Miles, who is a qualified horticulturalist and was instrumental in setting up Mendip in Bloom more than a decade ago, is expected to begin judging in the South West region in July.

"I'm really looking forward to it and I hope that my work as a judge will allow me to identify and bring back some best practice ideas to Mendip from around the South West," she said.