Find out about becoming a Guildford in Bloom volunteer on our Volunteering to help with Guildford in Bloom page.

Guildford in Bloom

Guildford in Bloom brings together community groups, businesses, schools and residents to promote imaginative ways to make the town and surrounding areas look their best and champion Guildford's natural environment.

Gardening competition 2019

Our Guildford in Bloom gardening competition is open to anyone living or working in the borough who loves gardening and wants to make Guildford a beautiful place to live, work and visit.

How to enter

Choose a category to enter. One category per address.
Let us know if you are a young gardener, in full-time education, aged 11 to 21. You could win a special award.
Choose to theme or not to theme. This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing.
Read our terms and conditions and use our Guildford in Bloom apply form to enter the competition.
Prepare your garden, allotment or containers for judging.

**Categories for Guildford in Bloom gardening competition 2019**
Category	Description
Best Front Garden	Your garden must be visible to the public from the footpath. It will be judged on design, colour, quality of plants and all-year-round interest. Gardens will be divided into the small or large category.
Best Allotment and Vegetable/Kitchen Gardens	Judged on the variety and quality of vegetables grown, evidence of good horticultural practice, use of space and sustainable management. All allotment plots entered must have the plot number clearly on display.
Best Garden for Wildlife	Open to all gardens, including those belonging to businesses and smaller community projects. The category is about the design, choice of plants and management being especially welcoming to wildlife.
Best Site for Nature Conservation	This category is suited to larger areas of private or public land where the aim is to protect and conserve wildlife habitats and species population.
Best Pub in Bloom	We are looking for the best Pub in Bloom. A well balanced design, good use of colour and quality planting will score high marks.
Best Container Garden	Open to balconies and gardens that are based on pots and baskets. Must be visible to the public.
Best Neighbourhood Project	This category recognises projects that green up the local area and include those organised by sheltered accommodation, village halls, residents associations, parish councils, voluntary groups and charities etc. Judges will be looking for good design, colour and plant quality, as well as input from residents or the community.
Student Garden Showcase	This category is open to all senior school, further and higher education students. The garden, allotment or horticultural project can be located on the educational premises or elsewhere in the Borough of Guildford but it must be within the Borough. Students are encouraged to design, create and maintain a garden, allotment/vegetable plot or project of their choice. Judges will be looking for good design, plant quality, diversity, sustainability, organic management and overall impression. Extra points can be gained for innovative design or feature.
Best School in Bloom	This year our theme is 'The Colours of Summer'. We are looking for imaginatively themed gardens or novel containers. Children's involvement with the design, planting and upkeep and meeting the theme of the competition will score high marks. Note: dates for the school competition are different to the dates for this category.

Special Awards will be presented to the following:

**Special categories for Guildford in Bloom gardening competition 2019**
Category	Description
Best Young Gardener Award	Open to all in full-time education, aged 11 to 21. Supporting the curriculum and learning, young gardeners can enter any of the categories listed above and the best young gardener will win this award.
Best Themed Garden Award	This year our theme is the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing. The best themed garden, allotment, container or project will win the Dorothy Walden Award.

Terms and conditions

The competition is open to all residents, businesses and community groups in the Borough of Guildford.
Entries must be received by the competition closing date of Sunday 16 June 2019.
You can enter one category per site/address.
Judging takes place between 1 to 19 July 2019.
It is not possible to advise individual entrants of the exact day and time of judging (with the exception of vegetable/kitchen gardens, wildlife gardens and neighbourhood project categories).
Judges will not be available to discuss individual entries and the judges' decision is final.
Winners will be notified by email and invited to the awards ceremony, which will take place on 17 September 2019 at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
A list of winners will be published on our website; photographs of your garden and the Awards may be used for marketing purposes.
Please read the Guildford in Bloom Competition and Events Privacy Statement.

If you would like to enter the competition or sponsor or support it, we need you to provide your consent by completing an application form. You can update your details and preferences, or withdraw this consent at any time, by contacting parks@guildford.gov.uk

We share the information you provide through the entry form within the organisation and with statutory bodies, for the sole purpose of the administration of the competition. We will not disclose any information to other organisations unless we are required by law to do so.

We will contact you for the following reasons:

To invite you to enter or support the competition
To administer the competition
To invite you to 'Picnic in the Castle Grounds' event
To invite you to the Awards Ceremony
To keep you updated with competition information by sending you two newsletters each year

Guildford Borough Council will process your personal data in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation. We will retain your data on file for three years, after which time it will be securely destroyed.

For further details on how your information is used, how we maintain the security of your information and your rights, including how to access information we hold on you and how to complain if you have any concerns about how your personal details are processed, please see our Data protection and privacy pages.

School Gardening Competition 2019

Entry to the School Gardening Competition 2019 is now open!

Our theme for the competition in 2019 is "The Colours of Summer".

Competition brief

We are looking for imaginatively themed gardens and novel containers. We would like you to think about the following:

What does Summer mean to you?
What plants will you use in your garden?

We particularly like plants that are grown from seed. We also like vegetables and plants that attract wildlife.

What containers will you use?

Up to four containers will be judged for each entry. Using recycled containers and objects would be good.

The judges hope that you have lots of fun designing, planting and looking after your gardens.

How to enter

Please read the terms and conditions below and use our online form to enter the competition.

Terms and conditions

The competition is open to all schools in, or close to, the Borough of Guildford. You must have pupils in the school who live in the Borough of Guildford.
Entries must be received by the competition closing date of Friday 24 May 2019.
If you are using containers for your entry, up to four will be judged for each entry.
Judging will take place between 3 to 14 June 2019.
Judges will not be able to discuss individual entries and the judges' decision is final.
Winners will be notified by email and invited to the awards ceremony, which takes place on Wednesday 19 June 2019 at Clandon Park Garden Centre.
A list of winners will be published on our website and photographs of your garden and the Awards may be used for marketing purposes.

For more information, contact the Guildford in Bloom Coordinator, Lysandra McCulloch lysandra.mcculloch@guildford.gov.uk or 01483 444715.

Diary Dates 2019

24 May 2019 - School Gardening Competition entry closes

27 May 2019 - Surrey County Show

1 June 2019 - Picnic in the Castle Grounds - a fabulous, free family event with the unveiling of the flower beds and fantastic entertainment from the bandstand

3 to 14 June 2019 - School Gardening Competition judging

16 June 2019 - Guildford In Bloom Competition entry closes

19 June 2019 - School Gardening Competition Awards

1 to 19 July 2019 - Guildford in Bloom Competition judging

17 September 2019 - Guildford in Bloom Award Ceremony

Sponsors for Guildford in Bloom

If you would like to become a Guildford in Bloom Sponsor, please download a copy of our sponsors' application form from the Downloads on this page.

Guildford in Bloom gives you an excellent opportunity to promote your business while helping us keep the borough blooming.

You can sponsor a category, or become the major sponsor for the event.

Become a Guildford in Bloom Committee Member

We are seeking new Committee Members and volunteers to help with Guildford in Bloom. Find out more on our Volunteering to help with Guildford in Bloom page. For more information, please email parks@guildford.gov.uk or telephone 01483 444715.