The village of Sardis, once again, has had an amazing display of flowers and although they are fading as autumn approaches, there is still work going on for the volunteers. The latest job has involved the aromatic task of muck-spreading to ensure the flowering shrubs have plenty of organic manure. This will soon be washed into the ground by the copious rainfall received in Sardis. The Sardis Parks and Gardens volunteers are to be congratulated on being nominated for 'The Nationwide Awards for Voluntary Endeavour' and for coming first in Saundersfoot in Bloom alongside Saundersfoot's own Sensory Garden. This year, the village did not secure a place in Wales in Bloom, but the judges gave a very favourable report, which is greatly appreciated, and they recognised the difficulty there is in growing flower beds under trees on top of a windswept hill. In their report they stated: "This is a difficult area to cultivate, as most of the verges are shaded by an avenue of mature trees. Despite this, the villagers have managed to provide a good display of bedding plants, especially Impatiens. These are mostly planted in boxes, some of which were donated by the nearby Hean Castle estate. "The improvements have been mostly done by a team of six villagers, including a lady in her 90s who is their head weeder, and these people have not only designed the improvements, but also planted the tubs and beds, and make sure the area is maintained. "They are also responsible for fund-raising, much of which is done by knocking on doors, although some grant money has been obtained, including an Action Earth Grant. "Before the team started on the development of the verges, many of them did not know each other, so the project has also improved the community of the village." The wild flowers along the verges and in the woodland have also been splendid this year. This is partly due to some planting of native wild flowers, but a lot to do with the men who keep the grass mowed, and also down to George Thomas, who trashes the banks, and Dennis Hewitt, who keeps the woodlands free of brambles by cutting them at exactly the right time to allow the other plants to grow and flower and seed. This year has seen sweet violets on the banks and snakeshead fritillaries and wild cyclamen flowering in the wood, in addition to all the other wild flowers that cascade down the banks along the roadside in spring and early summer. The village will soon look glorious in its autumn colours and then there will be the appearance of the first daffodils and snowdrops to look forward to.
