CDCED Adjudication Exercise Phase 1 by Carol-Faye Bynoe-George

Last Thursday 6th June, was the conclusion of the first phase of the Community Development Citizens’ Engagement Division’s (CDCED) Community Gardens and Beautification Competition (CGBC) Adjudication exercise.

There were six categories to choose from and participants could have competed in as many as they could based on the type(s) of garden(s) they owned.  These were as follows:

  • Flower Garden
  • Herb & Spice Garden
  • Fruits & Vegetables Garden
  • Stone Garden
  • Water Garden
  • Best Kept Community

Additionally, participants were divided into five zones depending on the locale of their homes.  The first phase of the adjudication exercises commenced from 3rd June in the East Zone, 4th June in the North Zone, 5th June in the West Zone, and climaxed on 6th June in the South Zone.  Barbuda adjudication was conducted on 9th May.

The 2024 competition had gardens are as follows:

North Zone encapsulates Mount Pleasant, Longfords, Cedar Grove, Royal Gardens, Crosbies, Soldier Bay, Weatherills Estate, Marble Hill, McKinnons, Crown Gardens, Anchorage Road, Old Runaway, Yorks, Villa, Gambles Terrace, Pigotts, Potters, Potter’s New Extension, Skerrits Pasture, Sutherlands and Cassada Gardens.  That area had 40 entrants.

East Zone consists of Christian Hill, Bethesda, Freetown, NewField, Lyons, St. Phillip’s, Willikies, Seatons, Glanvilles, Parham, Pares, Gunthropes, Fitches Creek and Paynters. That area had thirty (30), however two of the gardens were scheduled to be adjudicated in July.

West Zone comprises of Five Islands, Grays Farm, Grays Hill, Cooks New Extension, Golden Grove, Jennings, Bendals, Belmont, Buckleys, Clarks Hill, Seaview Farm, and Herberts.  This area had twenty-three (23) participants.

South zone includes All Saints, Jonas Road, English Harbour, Liberta, Follies, Patterson Estate/Horford Hill, Bolans and Old Road.  There was Sixteen (16) applicants but two (2) were scheduled for adjudication in July.

Barbuda had four (4) registrations.

A total of one hundred and thirteen (113) gardens were registered for 2024 which was an increase by

68 percent of the 2023 entrants, i.e., thirty-six (36) participants registered last year.

 

“It was a great experience and heartening to see so many participants. We look forward to visiting again for the second phase of judging and seeing how the gardens evolve over the next few months”, said Mrs. Vashti Ramsey-Casimir/Head judge.

The second phase of the adjudication exercise is scheduled for October, 2024.

“We encourage all participants to continue with the preparation of their gardens”, said Miss Tanya Williams/Co-ordinator-CGBC.