Charity Registered in England No. 1207318
2026 Guildford in Bloom Competition
Every entry makes Guildford bloom
Guildford in Bloom is delighted to announce the launch of its 2026 gardening competition, inviting residents, businesses, and community groups across the borough to showcase their creativity, care, and commitment to making Guildford a greener, more beautiful place to live.
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The competition is free to enter and celebrates gardens and green spaces of all shapes and sizes, from colourful window boxes and front gardens, to allotments and shared community spaces. Open to gardeners of all experience levels, it aims to encourage environmental pride, biodiversity, and community spirit throughout Guildford.
Judges will be looking for the best use of available space, imaginative planting, trees and shrubs, colourful gardens, productive and attractive vegetable gardens, wildlife havens, year-round-interest, beautiful small spaces, and creative hanging baskets and containers, appropriate for the category entered.
We are keen to encourage environmentally and wildlife friendly gardening, which might include water butts, composting, planting for pollinators, seasonal planting, appropriate for its situation and the space available in the garden.
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​Chair Sallie Barker said: "Guildford in Bloom is about making Guildford an attractive place to live and work in, and to visit. We are committed to keeping Guildford and our surrounding villages looking their best and encouraging people to work together to achieve this goal. We have introduced new community categories in our annual awards scheme this year so we can recognise best practice wherever it takes place – residential, pubs, businesses, community and neighbourhood projects, and open spaces.”
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Our Individual Garden Categories are intended mostly for residents with gardens or allotments they wish to enter, and our Community Garden Categories are for resident associations and groups, charities, parish councils, village halls, care homes, pubs and businesses. If you require clarification of the Category appropriate for your garden, please send your query to competition@guildfordinbloom.com
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Individual Garden Categories
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​Judges will award Gold/Silver/Bronze awards, and a Best Garden Award for each category. One entry only for each address. Please select the category most appropriate for your garden.
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Best Front Garden - Sponsored by Sally Rule - The Home:-Ologist for Large Gardens,
and Sponsored by Leo Architecture for Small Gardens.
Your garden must be visible to the public from the footpath and does not include the side of your house. It will be judged on design, quality of plants and all-year-round interest. Gardens will be divided into small or large categories. Usually terraced or semi-detached houses are small gardens and detached houses large gardens. Judges may adjust categories as they consider appropriate.
Best Allotment & Vegetable/Kitchen Gardens - Sponsored by Chapters Financial
Judged on the variety and quality of vegetables and fruit grown, evidence of good horticultural practice, use of space and sustainable management. Judging will take place in accordance with the rules of the Allotment Act.
There will be two sections in this category – New Tenant (less than 18 months), Experienced Tenant (over 18 months).
Best Garden for Wildlife/Pollinators - Sponsored by Tunsgate Quarter
A celebration of wildlife including pollinators. Open to all individual gardens where the design, choice of plants and management is especially welcoming to wildlife.
Best Small Space (up to 150sq.metres) - Sponsored by Guildford Financial
Open to patios, courtyards, balconies and very small spaces, mostly based on pots, planters and baskets. Must be visible to the public from the footpath.
Community Garden Categories
Judges will award Guildford in Bloom Community Gardening Awards to all entrants, together with Best in Category Awards​​
Community and Neighbourhood Projects - Sponsored by St Edward Homes
This category recognises groups who work together to create gardens that will green up their local community area and will include - residents' associations and groups, charities, parish councils, village halls, care homes, clubs etc. Judges will especially look for participation from individual members of the community or neighbourhood.
Nature Champions - Sponsored by Clandon Wood Nature Reserve and Natural Burial Ground
This category is suited to areas of private or public land, businesses, and community groups where an important element of their work is to create, protect and conserve wildlife habitats, species population and green space, and embrace public engagement.
Pub with a Garden or Floral Display - Sponsored by Guildford Pub Watch
Open to pubs in Guildford town centre and our villages (two categories), this award recognises great floral and planting displays in either containers and hanging baskets or pub gardens.
Premises with a Garden and/or Planted Containers - Sponsored by Unigold
Open to a hotel, restaurant, B&B, shop or office, this category is suited to businesses with open spaces/gardens/planters/pots/containers. Must be visible to the public from the footpath. This category will recognise businesses in Guildford town centre and those in our villages
Competition Rules:
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The Guildford in Bloom Competition is open to all borough residents, schools, community groups a
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Entries must be received by Friday 19th June; simply choose a category. You can only enter one category per site/address.
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Judges will visit all entries between Saturday 4th July and Sunday 12th July.
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Please note that most categories are required to be visable from the pathway, and you will not be contacted with the regard to the day the judges will visit.
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You will be contacted if the judges need to have access to your garden on the judging day.
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Judges will not be available to discuss individual entries; the judges decision is final.
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​​All winners will be invited to our Awards Ceremony which will be held this year in early September. Full details of the Awards Event will be announced in due course.
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A list of winners will be published on our website; photographs of your garden may be used for marketing purposes.
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How to Enter:
You can enter using this online form 2026 Competition Entry Form or email competition@guildfordinbloom.com if you require a form emailed or posted to you.​ The closing date for entries is Friday 19th June.​​
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Nominate:
If you have a friend, neighbour, family member, resident association or group, charity, parish council, village hall, care home, pub, or business with a beautiful garden, you are welcome to nominate them. We will need the address nominated as well as the nominee and we always advise that you let them know. You will need to email competition@guildfordinbloom.com to provide your nomination, with details of their garden address and relevant competition category.
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You can see our 2025 Competition Awards here :
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Guildford in Bloom is a volunteer-led community group dedicated to enhancing the appearance of Guildford through gardening, conservation and environmental projects. We are grateful for the involvement of all our sponsors to make this competition happen.
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