To mark the 20th anniversary of the annual Islington in Bloom competition, all 13,000 of the borough’s primary school children are being given a pack of seeds so that they can enjoy the physical, mental, and developmental benefits of planting.
The council’s fostering team are providing the calendula seeds in the hope that they – and the children that receive them – can grow and bloom. The seeds are set to be handed out in May, and can be grown anywhere – in the playground, in gardens, or even at home.
Islington is one of London’s most densely populated boroughs, so it’s vital that the most is made of every available space. Islington in Bloom – which has opened for nominations today – is a brilliant way for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together to reimagine shared spaces, improve communities, and boost biodiversity.
In this special, 20th anniversary year, the council is determined to ensure that more people than ever take part in the competition – especially those that have never been involved before. Taking part is easy, especially as entrants don’t even need to have prior gardening experience. The @IslingtonInBloom Instagram page will also be posting brilliant tips and inspiration throughout the competition.
Nominations will be accepted until Friday, 19 May. Categories for this year include:
• Best Front Garden
• Best Container Garden
• Best Children’s Planting
• Best Community Garden
• Best Street
• Best Housing Community Garden
• Best Park Community Garden
• Best Blooming Business
• Best Window Box
• Best Tree Pit
• Best Edible Garden
• School’s Poster Competition
Winners, runners-up and third-placed entries in each category will receive a Garden Centre gift voucher, and all entrants will receive a compost voucher for the Camden Garden Centre to encourage them to continue to garden.
Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality, and Transport, said: “Planting has so many benefits – it brings people together, is great for physical and mental health, and helps to make our borough a more biodiverse, attractive place.
“Taking part in Islington in Bloom is a brilliant way to get into gardening, improve your skills, and brighten your area. You don’t even need to have your own green space to take part, as you can grow at home, in parks, and in community spaces.
“By providing a pack of seeds to Islington’s primary school children, our fostering team have provided young gardeners with the opportunity to reap the social, health, and environmental benefits of planting, and we look forward to seeing beautiful calendulas springing up all over the borough this Spring.”
For guidance on how you can enter this year’s competition, head to the council’s In Bloom page. Results will be announced in September.
Islington in Bloom would not be possible without the competition’s sponsors, including Angel Central, Camden Garden Centre, Cass Art Islington, Islington Council’s Housing Department, Islington Gardeners, N1 Garden Centre, Partners for Improvement in Islington, The Islington Society, and NSL.
