Britain in Bloom

Britain in Bloom helps community spirit blossom

Community gardeners involved in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Britain in Bloom campaign are harnessing flower power to support their neighbours and lift spirits during lockdown. 

Gifting plants, giving away seeds and growing free food are among the ways that groups across the UK are still helping people to enjoy all the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening while their usual activities and this year’s main RHS Britain in Bloom competition are on hold.

Many are building on their strong community ties (which usually account for 30% of the judging marks) to keep morale high using plants grown at home or on allotments following social distancing rules.  

 

These include:

• Castlecaulfield, Northern Ireland – Village volunteers have sown microgreens in pots to drop off on doorsteps and will be swapping their usual floral hanging baskets with edibles such as herbs and tumbling tomatoes to supplement diets come summer.
• Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes – ‘Cheering-up initiatives’ include dropping sunflower seedlings on the doorsteps of the town’s elderly people, growing vegetables to donate to the local food bank and sharing pictures of beautiful gardens on the group’s Facebook page. 
• Rainham, London – Free seeds and plant care packages (in partnership with a local grower) are being delivered to encourage residents to plant up their front gardens and balconies or make hanging baskets and window boxes
• Sevenoaks, Kent – Children are being asked to grow a plant that attracts butterflies, bees or is edible to then be planted out in the Vine Gardens this summer.
• Ballymena, Northern Ireland – Mid and East Antrim Council is asking residents to brighten up the borough by growing sunflowers at home and posting their progress online – 5,000 free packets of seeds are available for collection at local shops.

Andrea Van-Sittart, RHS Head of Community Outreach, said: “It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear how many groups are drawing on their strong community spirit to help others during lockdown, from simply brightening someone’s day with a doorstep plant delivery to growing fresh produce for food banks.

“Gardening can be a real lifeline for people in challenging times, with some people saying how important this is to their wellbeing now more than ever.”

Britain in Bloom is the UK’s biggest community gardening campaign involving around 3,500 communities and over 250,000 volunteers.

Last year, the UK Finals competition was won by the Scottish city of Perth which impressed with its whole-community approach to sustainability, pollinator-friendly planting and campaign to raise awareness of and collect plastic waste.

For more information about RHS Britain in Bloom visit www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved or contactcommunities@rhs.org.uk to be added to the RHS communities newsletter list. 

 

Britain in Bloom with the RHS

• UK’s biggest community gardening campaign involves around 3,500 community groups and hundreds of thousands of local volunteers who work year-round to keep our neighbourhoods and streets green, clean and thriving.
• Bloom was started by the British Tourist Authority as a way to attract visitors to the UK through floral displays. In 2001, the RHS took over as organisers and have developed the campaign to include greater focus on community participation and environmental responsibility.
• In 2006, the RHS launched a new grass roots level for Bloom – It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN) – which is aimed at small volunteer groups (such as youth groups, ‘Friends of’ groups, etc.)
• Since 1964, Bloom has evolved from what many saw as a rural hanging basket competition to a major socio-environmental campaign that is improving villages, towns and cities across the UK

 

About the RHS:

The Royal Horticultural Society, the world’s leading gardening charity, was founded in 1804 by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgwood. Our vision is to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. This aspiration underpins all that we do, from inspirational gardens and shows, through our scientific research, to our education and community programmes such as Campaign for School Gardening and Britain in Bloom. We produce key publications, hold a world-class collection of horticultural books and botanical art, and sell the very best plants and gardening gifts.

 

The RHS is fundraising £40m to transform our gardens, outreach and education facilities, which includes redeveloping our flagship RHS Garden Wisley and opening a new garden, RHS Garden Bridgewater, in 2021. We are solely funded by our members, visitors and supporters. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk.