The team at Norwich in Bloom have received international success, thanks to their long-standing hard work keeping Norwich bloom-tiful.

Eastern Daily Press: Judges Ed Hooker III, front left, and Bill Ivison, front right, study the garden at the Assembly House for the International Communities in Bloom competition. With them are members of the Friends of Norwich in Bloom. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYJudges Ed Hooker III, front left, and Bill Ivison, front right, study the garden at the Assembly House for the International Communities in Bloom competition. With them are members of the Friends of Norwich in Bloom. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2016)

At the Bloom Awards, held in Regina, Canada, over the weekend, the Norwich in Bloom bid for the 'International Challenge' recieved a full five-out-of-five blooms, and a bronze commendation.

Terry Bane, a 'Friends of Norwich in Bloom' trustee and ambassador, said: 'We were rated a bronze which some people on the team may be disappointed by.

'Although we didn't win the category, the winning team from a very big city in Canada called Edmonton only won a silver commendation.'

He continued: 'That just shows that if the winner was a silver, how high the standard of the competition is set.'

Eastern Daily Press: Judges Ed Hooker III, left, and Bill Ivison, study the garden at the Assembly House for the International Communities in Bloom competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYJudges Ed Hooker III, left, and Bill Ivison, study the garden at the Assembly House for the International Communities in Bloom competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2016)

This year also marks the group's 35th anniversary.

Mr Bane continued: 'The honour was to get to the finals. We may not be invited again for another few years, as we couldn't send a representative to the awards ceremony which happened last night, but we will continue to keep Norwich bloomin' marvellous!'

Norwich was one of the few number of communities that were shortlisted for the award,

'I believe there were about 5 or 6 of us in the category,' Mr Bane added. 'Besides outselves, there was another town in Leicester that was shortlisted, and then a city in America, and a place in Turkey, amongst others.'

Mr Bane is one of the three remainding founding members of the Friends of Norwich in Bloom, and has now worked in horticulture for 40 years in Norwich.

He said: 'I am very proud to have made this achievement and will continue as long as I can to ensure Norwich and the Anglia region keep looking good and be environmentally rich through my passion and supporting network of volunteers and business.'