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Islington in Bloom

Islington in Bloom is your local horticultural competition run by Islington Gardeners and Islington Council.

The winners of Islington in Bloom 2026 have now been announced!   

Thank you to everyone who has entered this year.

The full list of winners for 2026 are:

Best Children's planting
1st - Willow Children's Centre
2nd - St Mark's CE Primary School 
3rd - Tufnell Park Primary School
 
Best Window Box 
1st - Patricia Jordan
2nd - David Heath
3rd - Jamshid Maylanchi
 
Best Balcony 
1st - Joanna Bevan
2nd - Sylvia Levy
3rd - Julie Cooper
 
Best Tree Pit 
1st - Katherine Lowe
2nd - Barbara Holliman
3rd - Susanna Stock
 
Best Edible Garden 
1st - Friends of Fortune Street Park
2nd - Samford House Allotments
3rd - Olden Community Garden
 
Best Blooming Business 
1st - Quentin Blake Centre of Illustration 
2nd - The North London Spiritualist Church
3rd - Rotunda Bar and Restaurant
 
Best Front Garden 
1st - 7 Alwyne Road
2nd - Rosemary Brown
3rd - Loan Tran
 
Best Hidden Gem 
1st - Alex Forbes
2nd - Lunita Williams
3rd - Finsbury Park Trust
 
Best Container Garden 
1st - Andromeda Garden - Second Chance
2nd - Jasmine Simhalan
3rd - James Gardiner and Neil Bartlett
 
Best Park 
1st - Caledonian Park Friends Group
2nd - Friends of St John's Garden 
3rd - Barnard Park
 
Best Estate 
1st - Thornhill Houses Communal Garden
2nd - Greenman St Estate Community Garden
3rd - Montague Court
 
Best Street 
1st - Corbyn Street 
2nd - Thornhill Living School Street 
3rd - Harberton Road 
 
Best Community Garden 
1st - Whittington Park Community Centre
2nd - Sunnyside Community Garden
3rd - Culpeper Community Garden
 
Community Impact Award - Mildmay Community Food Project / Octopus Community Plant Nursery - Food Waste Upcycling Project

Nancy Pattenden Wildlife Award - Clerkenwell Pollinator Path 

Best Neighbourhood - Clerkenwell

 

Islington is one of London’s most densely populated boroughs with the least amount of green space – so we need to make the most of every centimetre of growing space. We want Islington to be greener and healthier, and our gardening competition is a great way for us to reimagine our shared spaces together and make this happen.

You don't need to have any experience - or even a garden - to take part! There are a wide range of categories to enter, there really is something for everyone.

We are looking forward to seeing lots of wonderful entries next year from residents, community groups and businesses who help us to make Islington a greener and more environmentally friendly borough. 

Gardening has many benefits for people and the environment:

  • it raises our spirits by making our surroundings more beautiful
  • it supports biodiversity and helps protect our environment by making Islington more attractive to pollinators and other wildlife
  • it brings people and communities together
  • it is great for health and wellbeing, and it's fun! 

There are many other ways to get involved in greening Islington, including volunteering in your local park.  or adopting a tree pit.

Categories 

The categories for 2026 were:

  • Best community garden
  • Best park garden 
  • Best estate garden
  • Best children's planting
  • Best edible garden
  • Best window box 
  • Best container garden
  • Best front garden 
  • Best tree pit garden 
  • Best blooming business
  • Best street 
  • Best hidden gem 
  • Best balcony

Sponsors of Islington in Bloom

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for their generosity:

The Charterhouse 
Camden Garden Centre – Best front garden, Best container garden
Angel Central - Best children’s planting 
NSL – Best Street 
George Irving Funfairs – Community impact award 
Hickson Wardle Treecare – Best edible garden 
Islington Society - Best community garden 
Thor’s Trees – Best tree pit 
Marlborough Highways - Best park  
N1 Garden Centre – Best blooming business  
Partners – Best window box 
National Trust – Best balcony 
Islington Gardeners – Nancy Pattenden award 
Islington Council Housing team – Best estate 
Angel Association – Best hidden gem 

What are the categories?

There are lots of categories to enter, a front garden, tree pit or a community garden. You can enter as an individual, a community group, a business, or you can delight someone else by nominating their planting that you admire.

The categories for 2025 are: 

  • Best community garden (large community gardens, community centres with staff)
  • Best park (groups gardening in public open spaces)
  • Best estate (estate gardening groups, residential care homes etc)
  • Best children's planting (category for schools, children's centres, and projects led by children)
  • Best edible garden (food growing)
  • Best window garden
  • Best container garden (majority of plants growing in containers)
  • Best front garden (majority of plants growing in the ground)
  • Best tree pit garden
  • Best blooming business
  • Best street (residents groups gardening eg multiple front gardens, tree pit gardens, parklets, etc)
  • Best hidden gem (private spaces ie back gardens, roof terraces etc)
  • Best balcony

How can I enter?

You can enter Islington in Bloom via the online entry form

The deadline for entries is 11.59pm Friday 6 June.

You will need:

• Two photos of your entry (Photos should try to represent your overall entry rather than close ups of individual elements eg flowers)

• The category you are entering 

• Your name 

• Your address 

• Your email address 

• Your phone number

• Are you nominating yourself or another project?

• Details of your nomination – or the project you are nominating

What are your tips for taking great photos of my entry?

Photographs are important to help with judging. Please photograph as much of your planting as you can.

Before you start, wipe your camera lens with a lint-free cloth such as a glasses cloth. Activate HDR or high-resolution mode on your camera app (if applicable).

If possible take your photos from two different angles.

Do not submit photos of individual plants or people.

Often landscape format will help you capture more of your garden than portrait.

Avoid facing directly into the sun when taking photos – often cloudy days can help prevent awkward shadows.

For window boxes and balconies please include a view from the street.

How does the judging process work?

When the competition closes, our judges (who are all volunteers from Islington Gardeners, the local community and council staff) will review all entries.

We are always looking for more judges so if you are interested please contact inbloom@islington.gov.uk

Traditionally, gardening competitions were all about colourful hanging baskets and neatly trimmed lawns, but here in Islington, a densely urban setting, we want to recognise all sorts of gardening and gardeners, and to encourage a positive impact on biodiversity in our borough. 

Here are some of the things that judges are looking for:
• Sustainable plants that can tolerate drier conditions.
• Perennial plants instead of annual bedding plants
• Collecting rain water and using mulch to suppress weeds and retain water. 
• Use of recycled or upcycled materials. 
• Is it a good place for wildlife? Are there plants that provide food sources for birds, bees and other pollinators? 
• Wild life habitats such as a bird box or feeder, bug hotel, log pile, or small pond or water feature. 
• Is it attractive? Is there a good mixture of plants? Are there different textures, colours and shapes of leaves? Do you have plants that will provide interest all year round – evergreen shrubs, climbers or trees? 
• Is it well-tended, pruned, watered, and looking healthy? Is the planting suitable for the space and does it work well in its location? 
• Does it include edibles such as herbs, fruit, or vegetables? 

The judges will then give you a score, based on which you will receive one of the following awards: 

Gold (85% and over) 
Silver Gilt (75-84%) 
Silver (60-74%) 
Bronze (50-59%) 
Certificate of Merit (0-49%) 
 
There are also first, second, and third places for each category.

 

What will the judges be looking for?

In the past, gardening competitions were all about colourful hanging baskets and neatly trimmed lawns. This year we want to go further, so we have made some changes to the guidelines that will help you make a positive impact on biodiversity in our borough. 

Here are a few things to think about when planning your entry for Islington in Bloom:  

  • Is your planting sustainable, with plants that can tolerate drier conditions and perennial plants instead of annual bedding plants? Are you collecting rain water and using mulch to suppress weeds and retain water? Have you used any recycled or upcycled materials? 
  • Is it a good place for wildlife? Are there plants that provide food sources for birds, bees and other pollinators? Is there a small wild area for habitat? Is there a bird box or feeder, bug hotel, log pile, or small pond or water feature? 
  • Is it attractive? Is there a good mixture of plants? Are there different textures, colours and shapes of leaves? Do you have plants that will provide interest all year round – evergreen shrubs, climbers or trees? 
  • Is it well-tended, pruned, watered, and looking healthy? Is the planting suitable and does it work well in its location? 
  • Does it include herbs, fruit, or vegetables? 

When will I find out the results?

Results will be announced in September and award certificates will be sent out via email. 
There will also be a celebratory event, details of this will follow.

How can I stay up to date?

Check the website to stay up to date with the competition.  

For gardening tips and fun facts, follow our Instagram account @islingtoninbloom. Here you can also be inspired by the creations of some of last year’s winners. You can also share your work and help us promote the competition by using the hashtags #IslingtonBlooms and #IslingtonInBloom on Twitter and Instagram. 

We will inform entrants of the results by email.

Thank you to our generous sponsors

Islington in Bloom would not be possible without the competition’s sponsors, so we would like to extend a warm thank you to:
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