Thursday June 20, daily jhm got into the car of part of the jury of the competition for flower houses of the City of Saint-Dizier. A prospective stroll, always with an expert eye on the plantations.
Their passion never fades. Shortly before 9 a.m., at the municipal technical center (CTM) of Saint-Dizier, Thursday June 20, seven jurors – to which were exceptionally joined two journalists from daily jhm – are preparing to crisscross the city, looking for the most beautiful gardens or balconies. And for good reason, it is on this day that the evaluation of the flowered houses competition takes place. We are divided into teams of three, each with a sector and a category to cover.
In detail, six categories were evaluated: houses with very visible gardens of more than 100 m2houses with very visible gardens of less than 100 m2, houses with a terrace or garden visible from the street, flowered windows or walls, flowered balconies, and flowered balconies or terraces without a garden specifically at the Ambroise-Croizat residence. We will take care of evaluating the last three. In total, 20 locations (there were 49 in total).
Rejuvenate the troops of flowered houses
At each stop, the keen eye of our co-jurors: Nicole Aubry, municipal councilor, and Françoise (who did not wish to use her last name), secretary of the CTM, are at work. Here, we notice a few weeds, there a beautiful variety of flowers, and pretty colors. A few small hiccups, with an address indicated on our list of candidates at which there are no flowers, or this balcony of the Vert-Bois, which we guess is loaded with plants, but impossible to distinguish, eight floors below. Because, the golden rule, the jury must be able to see the beauty of the garden from the outside.
Nothing to demotivate the troops. Even if, as an aside, Nicole Aubry, who has known the competition for flower houses for “at least 35 years”, despairs of “not attracting young people”. As a symbol of this sentence, it was at the Ambroise-Croizat senior residence that there were the most candidates. And not the least impressive. This year, there were overall fewer participants than in previous years, we note from the jury, which finished its rounds “much earlier” than before.
Prospective approach for the competition
But, if the number of people participating in the flower house competition decreases, the jury struggles to find new ones. On multiple occasions, we stopped, reversed and even turned around, only to return in front of a house with plenty of flowers. Its address is recorded, and owners may be invited to try their luck.
The best in each category – the results will be known in a few months – will be able to apply for the regional competition for flower houses. “It allows continuity in the flowering of the city,” assures Sandrine Humblot, head of the City’s Parks and Gardens department. She recalls: “The “Villes et Villages Fleuris” label is also thanks to individuals. »
Dorian Lacour
