Saundersfoot has been selected as a finalist in the 2024 RHS Britain in Bloom Finals, in the 60th anniversary year of the UK’s biggest gardening competition.

On February 20, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) revealed the 52 finalists of the 2024 RHS Britain in Bloom Finals, and the coastal village of Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire was one of only three entrants chosen in Wales.

Saundersfoot in Bloom secretary Cllr Rosemary Hayes MBE said: “We were all very delighted to be chosen as an entrant for Britain in Bloom representing Wales. One of three entrants, the others are towns in North Wales.

“Saundersfoot in Bloom was started in 1984, I was appointed secretary, and am still in post, Keith Williams is chairman and Michelle Evans treasurer. In all those years nothing like this has happened before, we are so excited.”

“We are working together with the Community Council on this,” she added.

The finalists, selected from across the UK, will compete to be crowned winner in one of 11 categories, and will secure an RHS gold, silver gilt, silver or bronze award. One of the category winners will then go on to be named RHS Britain in Bloom Overall Winner for 2024.

Judges will assess each group according to criteria that evaluate their commitment to improving the local environment, community engagement and horticultural excellence.

As part of this year’s anniversary celebrations, the RHS will be sharing ‘friendship flower seeds’ to all of the Britain in Bloom groups to celebrate the enduring friendships made through caring for plants as a community and a love of gardening. Over 2 million flowers, including sweet peas, cosmos, nigella, gypsophila, rudbeckias and zinnias will be sown and planted by Bloom groups to create spectacular displays of cut flowers for everyone to enjoy. 

There are 17 Bloom Regions that all hold their own Bloom competitions, from which they nominate their highest-performing entries to compete in the UK Finals. Each of the finalists will be visited by a pair of Britain in Bloom judges in summer 2024, and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in the autumn.