Holiday Park wins 30th Wales in Bloom Awards

Flower power has taken a Flintshire holiday park into the record books as this autumn it achieved its thirtieth consecutive win in the Wales in Bloom awards.

Tree Tops Caravan Park near Holywell is the only holiday park in Flintshire ever to claim an unbroken three decades of victories in the annual search for Wales’s most colourful holiday park.

Located near Holywell, Tree Tops is run by Andy Walker who says his long-running success story is the result of a collective effort involving all of the park’s staff.

30 Year Winner of the Wales in Bloom Awards

Tree Tops uses some 16,000 plants a year, many of which are produced from cuttings propagated in its own shrub nursery and then carefully spread out over the park’s 18-acre grounds.

They form themed areas ranging from formal gardens and a Japanese garden to a sensory garden and orchards featuring heritage apple, plum and cherry trees.

This year, judges awarded Tree Tops full marks in each of the five categories on which entrants’ gardens are judged, including their visual impact and environmental benefits.

Full marks for Wales in Bloom Awards holiday park winner

Inspectors said that the park’s imaginative ideas are inspiring others in the local community, and applauded new features such as home-grown bamboo canes, bee hives and a berry bar.

Among other glowing comments previously made by judges was the observation that parts of the displays were fully deserving of being featured as exhibits in the Chelsea Flower Show.

The gardening team at the park is led by head gardener Hazel Sambrooks who is now in her sixth year at the five-star park which draws holiday home owners from both sides of the Welsh border.

Blooming Marvellous 5 Star Holiday Park

Hazel, said Andy, provides not just the planning skills needed to maintain the gardens, but also the imagination, flair and creative energies which sustain its magic.

He also paid tribute to other team members Dave, Sam, Derek, John, Peter, Jayne, Nic and Gareth.

“We are open for nine months of the year, so we ensure that the park always has something special and often spectacular to offer throughout the seasons,” said Andy.

“Colour and fragrance are, of course, very important – but we also favour high-nectar blooms which provide important foraging for honeybees, butterflies and other pollinators.

Sustainability and Wildlife focus

“Sustainability and concern for wildlife have always been key factors in our management of the caravan park, inspired in part by the incredible beauty of this region of North Wales,” he said.

Tree Tops is run by Andy alongside his parents Maureen and Harry, and he reports that the caravan park is already planning and propagating in readiness for the 2024 championships.

There is more information about Tree Tops on its website at www.treetopscaravanpark.co.uk