Go ‘Wild About a Greener Guildford’ for this year’s In Bloom Gardening Competition

Published on: 27 Feb, 2024
Updated on: 29 Feb, 2024

Entries are now being sought for the 2024 Guildford in Bloom Gardening Competition.

Winners from 2023: Peter and Win Martin’s allotment garden.

The theme this year is “Wild About a Greener Guildford” and gardeners are encouraged to create pockets full of nectar-rich plants to care for pollinators.

Part of the competition’s ethos is to create diverse habitats to encourage and protect wildlife, especially pollinators.

Nature Champions is a new category for areas managed as a business, by community groups, churches and partnerships, which have nature conservation, wildlife and protecting insects and pollinators at the heart of their ethos.

The category of Wildlife Gardens returns to encourage gardeners with domestic gardens that are wildlife friendly to enter.

The Container Garden category remains for those with very small plots, hanging baskets and window boxes.

The chairman of Guildford in Bloom, Paul Spooner says the competition is now in a much safer financial position thank to its sponsors. He added: “Our committee has been looking at the future focus and we will be making some changes to judging criteria based on our new strap line ‘Enhance the Traditional – Embrace the Future’.

“We are also working closely with stakeholders following the withdrawal of some horticultural features in Guildford such as the planters. We hope this is temporary but are looking at options to fill the gaps left by the council’s decision. We thank Experience Guildford and local businesses for their support in our endeavours.”

To take part, go to www.guildfordinbloom.com to download the entry form, and once completed send to info@guildfordinbloom.com no later than Sunday, June 23.

Judging takes place between July 1 and 19.

For 2024, schools’ gardens entries will focus on “Wild About A Greener Guildford” theme.

The school competition is also under way and children across the borough can design and create their gardens with the “Wild About A Greener Guildford” theme, and keeping a journal, diary or scrapbook to record their progress. Entries need to be in by May 24, and judging will take place between June 17 to 24.

Entry forms for this competition can also be downloaded from www.guildfordinbloom.com

You can keep up with the competition on the Guildford in Bloom social media pages – visit @guildfordnbloom on X(Twitter) and Instagram and on Facebook.