Felixstowe Town Council first introduced the Felixstowe in Flower scheme in 1985 to support the whole community in transforming the town with flowers each summer. In the first year 60 hanging baskets were sponsored by local firms and organisations and from these small beginnings a comprehensive community scheme has developed.
First introduced in 1985, Felixstowe in Flower has been brightening the town with floral displays for 40 years. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Felixstowe In Flower, and we need your support to make it the best year yet! Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, there’s something for everyone to get involved with.
Cllr Mike Deacon, who was instrumental in introducing the now 40-year-old scheme, recalls his thought process in 1985 fondly:
“I’ve often been asked what inspired me to introduce Felixstowe in Flower way back in 1985. As a newly elected Councillor in 1983, I became increasingly concerned that Felixstowe was being let down by the then District Council. It was simply becoming very shabby, the gardens were run down, weeds growing in gutters and pavements, litter and dogs fouling the streets – all a problem.
Requests to remedy the situation were largely ignored. It was at about that time on a visit to Ipswich my wife and I were both impressed with the floral decorations in their town centre. The thought then occurred to me that if Felixstowe Town Council could produce something similar, it might encourage the District Council into tidying the town up. And so it was that with the help of the then very enthusiastic Town Clerk Susan Robinson, her staff and the backing of the Town Council, we launched Felixstowe in Flower with 60 sponsored hanging baskets in Hamilton Road in the summer of 1985.
In my wildest dreams, I would never have believed that Felixstowe in Flower would have grown into the success it is today, being embraced by the community with floral displays throughout the town every summer.”
Sponsor a Hanging Basket, Tub or Trough
If you are a local business, you can sponsor a tub, basket or trough, filled with a beautiful floral display, which will be expertly cared for by the Felixstowe Town Council Grounds Team. The floral display will be adorned with a plaque with the name and logo of your business. The floral displays are located in popular areas of the town, such as along Hamilton Road, Walton High Street, and Sea Road, ensuring that your business will be widely advertised.
Alternatively, why not sponsor a basket in memory of a loved one? The display will be adorned with their name and cared for daily by the Felixstowe Town Council Grounds Team.
If you would like to sponsor a tub, trough or basket, you can download a sponsorship form by clicking here.
Enter One of Our FREE Competitions
Whether you are a keen gardener, a beginner, a local business, or an allotmenteer, there’s a Felixstowe in Flower competition for you! There are 14 categories to enter for free, ranging from the best hanging basket and the best commercial garden to the seaside and creative arrangement theme. You can find a competition form at www.felixstowe.gov.uk/felixstowe-in-flower. The winners of each category will be invited to the illustrious Felixstowe in Flower Awards Ceremony and presented with a trophy in recognition of their entry.
To download an entry form click here.
Join us at the Launch
Join us as we launch 40 years of Felixstowe in Flower at Felixstowe Triangle on 7 June. Meet local community groups and businesses, and cast your vote in the Councillors’ flower pot competition as we kickstart a fabulous 40-year celebration of everything floral in Felixstowe.
To find out more about how ou can get involved with Felixstowe in Flower, please email sue.faversham@felixstowe.gov.uk.
All sponsors are acknowledged and thanked at the Felixstowe in Flower Awards Ceremony.
And thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors for 2022
Though the scheme comes to life in the summer months, it is a year-round effort. The scheme is reviewed in the Winter in readiness for spring preparations, and following the summer displays all the competition winners are honoured at the Felixstowe in Flower Awards Ceremony normally held in the Autumn. Around two-hundred people of all ages and from all sections of the community attend this illustrious ceremony to celebrate the wonderful contribution made to our town by so many people.
The 2022 ceremony took place at The Orwell Hotel; see a list of all the winners here and a photo-gallery of the event below.
