LEWES, Del. - One week after Lewes in Bloom underwent renovations to repair their specialized willow fencing, they are ready for the Communities in Bloom International Challenge.
Nationally recognized artisan, Howard Peller, came to Lewes from Ohio last week to complete a three day project in the historic Fisher-Martin Herb Garden. Lewes in Bloom founder, Warren Golde, wanted to ensure that the willow fencing was restored and in good shape before the competition.
Cities and towns are only eligible to enter the international challenge if they have won a national competition previously, which Lewes in Bloom has done several times. In 2018, the organization won the international challenge for the first time.
Two expert judges will be in attendance, one from Belgium and one from Hungary, to assess volunteer efforts relating to community, environment, heritage, trees, landscape, plant and floral displays. The judges arrived on Thursday, July 18 and have began judging on Friday, July 19.
Their visit will include breakfast with Mayor and City Council and head members of Lewes in Bloom, a video showcasing the gardens of Lewes and a meet and greet with Lewes in Bloom volunteers.
To enhance the judges experience in the first town, the Broadkill Folk Jammers were playing live Celtic music at the Mary Vessels Park. The music adds to the historic aesthetic the town works to uphold.
While the floral displays are a large part of the competition, something else caught Dr. Andrea Bucsi's attention during her visit in Lewes. "I'm amazed by the enthusiasm of all those volunteers who work here for the improvement of quality of life" said Bucsi.
"Anne and I have been over here cleaning up the garden in between breakfast with blowers and picking the grass. We've been doing that for a couple days, getting ready for this event," said co-lead patron, Pamela Rankin, as she explained what her and her co-lead, Anne Hanzel, do to maintain an award winning garden.
Lewes in Bloom encouraged members of the community to be mindful of their gardens during the judges visit, as they would be looking at the town as a whole, not just the gardens tended by Lewes in Bloom.
The results of the international challenge will be announced at the award ceremony in Canada at the end of September.
