The 2025 Trowbridge Chamber Flower Festival has seen 50 businesses, organisations, charities and schools displaying colourful flowers, planters and eye-catching floral window displays, bringing animation, nature and increased footfall to Trowbridge Town Centre.
The Festival, which was launched in May to coincide with the opening of the Chelsa Flower Show and continues throughout the summer, includes Festival trail maps leading residents and visitors of all ages on a floral safari around Trowbridge Town Centre.
There is also a competition challenging trail followers to visit all 50 locations ,with prizes including a £200 Serenity Beauty voucher, £150 Haine & Smith Opticians voucher, children’s toys & sweets from Asda and vouchers from Tale of Spice restaurant and Tesco. Trail Maps can be downloaded from the Chamber website at www.trowbridgechamber.com or picked up from The Toy Shop, Visitor Centre or Roast & Toast Café in Market Street.
The Flower Festival Awards were hosted by the Trowbridge Chamber at Emmanuel’s Yard in Trowbridge on Friday 4th July to celebrate the best displays in categories including:
- Best Outdoor Display
- Best Indoor Window Display
- Most Innovative Floral Display
- Best Charity Display
- Best School Display
- Most Impactful Floral Display
The evening began with a poem about flowers performed by children from The Mead Primary School, wearing beautiful sunflower headdresses and the awards were hosted by Trowbridge Chamber Chair, Carey Tesler.
BEST SCHOOL DISPLAY was won by Castle Mead School for its eye-catching floral displays, including recycled tyre flower planters. Silver Award went to Castle Mead School and Bronze to Bellefield School.
The Mayoress of Trowbridge Sharon Cooper presented the prizes and congratulated all the schools taking part in the Flower Festival.
BEST OUTDOOR DISPLAY was presented by Chris Wilde, Manager of Festival sponsor the Trowbridge Garden Centre, who presented a trophy and a £100 Garden Centre voucher to the winner of the Gold Award, which was won by the SILT Sustainable Image Lab in St George’s Mews.
The Silver Award went to Forrester Sylvester Mackett for their eye-catching planters in Castle Street and Bronze to Peter Hirsch, owner of the newly refurbished Town Bridge Garage whose supersized new integrated planters were planted up for the Festival trail.
BEST CHARITY DISPLAY – There were a number of charities on the Flower Festival trail, including Alzheimers UK, RUKSAK, Wiltshire Sight and Dorothy House.
The Mayor of Trowbridge, Cllr Stephen Cooper, presented the award for Best Charity Display to Wiltshire Sight.
BEST INDOOR DISPLAY award was presented by Darren Earney from Elevate Online Marketing.
The Bronze Award was awarded to The Toy Shop for their floral bunny display, Silver to Nature’s Sanctuary in Fore Street for their daffodil and floral soaps display and the winner of the Gold Award was the Roast & Toast Café for their artistic roses window display.
MOST IMPACTFUL FLORAL DISPLAY – The Award for the Most Impactful Floral Display was presented by Debbie Rafferty, Senior Manager of Monahans, the Chamber’s founding Partner Member.
The Bronze Award was won jointly by SASS Circus and Still Sisters Distillery in St George’s Mews, Silver was awarded to Serenity Beauty, also in St George’s Mews, and the overall winner for Most Impactful Flower Display was won by Montgomery Charles Financial Wealth Management in Wicker Hill for their colourful new window boxes and planters.
MOST INNOVATIVE FLORAL DISPLAY – The Leader of Trowbridge Town Council, Cllr Mel Jacob, who was one of the business display judges, presented the award for Most Innovative Floral Display to Peppers Hair & Beauty in Wicker Hill for their eye-catching wheelbarrow planters. Peppers’ owner Rosemary Hay said the planters are effectively her garden as she doesn’t have outdoor space at home. Peppers won a trophy, certificate and £100 B&Q voucher. Miles Morgan Travel won Silver for their fun holiday-themed suitcase planter display.
Chamber Director Megan Witty presented certificates for the Highly Commended displays, which included:
- The Community Sensory Garden behind the Town Hall, The beautiful Sensory Garden behind the Old Town Hall, maintained by a team of dedicated volunteers led by Babs and Gary Schroeder
- Trowbridge ECO wildlife garden in the Town Park
- Trowbridge’s team of dedicated gardening volunteers including Ron and Celia Lomas, who not only nurture and maintain the Trowbridge Textile Garden, but also help with a wide range of Trowbridge Town Centre planting.
- Tale of Spice restaurant for their hanging baskets and planters
- Parade House in Wicker Hill for its beautiful front garden
- Landlords HPH for funding the installation of colourful wooden planters outside Madame Monsieur Hairdressers and Trowbridge Nails in Fore Street.4.
- The Kings Arms in Castle Street for its year round hanging baskets
- Leykers Coffee Bar for its impressive flower displays that make White Hart Yard so vibrant and attractive
- Fabric Magic for their floral fabrics and window artwork display
Also mentioned were Soma in Fore Street and Castle Place owner Tahir Ali, who created colourful floral planters for the trail.
FLORAL WINDOW ARTWORK – Trowbridge artist Wadia Boutaba was Highly Commended for her wonderful colourful artwork which was commissioned by a number of businesses, including JMS Carpets & Flooring, Howard Travel, Alzheimer’s Support and De Creative Emporium which also won Highly Commended certificates.
Trowbridge Chamber Chair Carey Tesler said: “This is the second year that The Trowbridge Chamber has organised The Trowbridge Flower Festival, and it was such a pleasure to see so many local businesses, charities, volunteers and schools being recognised at the Awards Ceremony and Summer Party.
“There was such an incredible community spirit in the room, with everyone networking and supporting each other, which is exactly what The Trowbridge Chamber stands for.
“Everyone had made a huge effort to join in the fun and dress the town by creating beautiful eye-catching floral window displays – from fresh flowers and beautiful planters to imaginative floral window art and floral fabrics – in my mind they all deserved to win!
“I’d like to thank our intrepid panel of judges including Chamber Vice Chair Jennifer Polledri and Mayoress Sharon Cooper for braving the elements a few weeks ago and for their hours of deliberation – it wasn’t easy as the standards were so high!
“A huge thank you to the Mayor of Trowbridge, Cllr Stephen Cooper and Cllr Mel Jacobs, Leader of Trowbridge Town Council and Deputy Leader of Wiltshire Council for presenting trophies and certificates to the winners, and to lead sponsor Chris Wild, Manager of Trowbridge Garden Centre for the outstanding contribution, continued support and stunning floral decorations.
“The highlight of the event had to be the opening performance by children from The Mead Primary School who read out a special poem on stage in their sunflower headdresses and won Silver Award, and children from Castle Mead School who won the Gold award in their category. These are our future business owners, entrepreneurs and volunteers who are already learning how much the natural world impacts our daily lives.
“But the Flower Festival isn’t over yet. Visitors and residents of Trowbridge can pick up a free Flower Festival Trail Map or download one online over the next couple of weeks and complete a floral safari around town in order to win some fabulous prizes from local businesses.
“And now we can start planning an even bigger Flower Festival for next year! 🌺
