Garden competition: Alona Has Burst Into Bloom With The
Alona has burst into bloom with the launch of Cyprus’ first village garden competition, organised by the community council on August 9. This initiative invites residents to showcase their private gardens, promoting creativity and environmental sustainability.
- “I acted on my instincts as a mukhtar, especially since the Alona residents have a deep love for gardening,” said Michalis Nikiforou, highlighting the community's enthusiasm for horticulture.
- This event also highlighted the village's unique biodiversity, thanks to the nearby lush greenery and hazelnut forest. Nikiforou described the initiative as creating an “Alona of colours.”
- This year’s garden competition was part of the 51st Alona Festival, further enriching the celebration of community spirit and natural beauty in the village.
The competition aimed to attract tourism and celebrate Alona’s rich natural beauty. Participants were judged on various aspects including plant health, aesthetics, contribution to the village’s beautification, functionality, accessibility, and biodiversity.
The Competition Aimed To Attract Tourism And
“I acted on my instincts as a mukhtar, especially since the Alona residents have a deep love for gardening,” said Michalis Nikiforou, highlighting the community’s enthusiasm for horticulture.
A jury of five experts in greenery, beautification, landscape aesthetics, and photography evaluated the gardens to determine the top three. The prizes included monetary awards from the agriculture ministry and books, ensuring that the competition had significant incentives for participants.
Initially, the idea surprised residents, as such a competition had never occurred in Cyprus, especially in a small village. Nevertheless, 14 enthusiastic residents took part, eager to display their gardening talents.
Photo: cyprus-mail.com
The garden that clinched first place was situated in the village centre, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors. “The first-place award went to a beautiful garden, which was located in the centre of the village, making it extremely accessible to both the visitors and residents,” Nikiforou explained, underscoring the competition’s goal of promoting Alona’s charm.
This event also highlighted the village’s unique biodiversity, thanks to the nearby lush greenery and hazelnut forest. Nikiforou described the initiative as creating an “Alona of colours.”
Although more residents expressed interest in participating, the short notice limited the number of entries this year. However, the mukhtar announced plans to make the garden competition an annual event, ensuring it becomes a staple of village life. “More people were planning to compete for Alona’s best garden, however due to the short notice given to the residents, not everyone was able to compete. For this reason, we are excited to announce that Alona’s best garden competition will become a yearly tradition!” he said proudly.
This year’s garden competition was part of the 51st Alona Festival, further enriching the celebration of community spirit and natural beauty in the village.
