Wandsworth in Bloom 2026 Opens for Entries
Categories range from balcony planters to community food gardens
Last year’s Wandsworth in Bloom 2025 crowned a stunning front garden in Southfields as Best in Show. Picture: Wandsworth Council
June 8, 2026
Wandsworth in Bloom has opened for entries for 2026, inviting residents, schools, businesses and community groups to help make the borough more colourful, more biodiverse and more connected through gardening.
The annual competition celebrates everything from balcony planters to community food gardens, shining a spotlight on the people who help Wandsworth’s neighbourhoods flourish.
The initiative is rooted in a simple idea: gardening is an act of care. Whether it’s tending a front garden, brightening a shopfront or growing vegetables with neighbours, these small acts collectively shape a greener, more welcoming borough. Wandsworth in Bloom aims to bring people together through that shared pride, encouraging creativity while supporting wildlife and sustainable planting.
This year’s competition offers a wide range of categories to reflect the many ways people garden in an urban borough. Residents can enter Best Front Garden, Best Balcony or Container Garden or Best Allotment Plot, while community groups can showcase shared spaces through Best Community Food Growing Site or Best Community Facility Garden. Businesses are encouraged to take part in Best Business in Bloom, highlighting how greening shopfronts and outdoor areas can transform high streets and boost biodiversity.
Schools across the borough are also invited to enter School in Bloom, a category open to nurseries, primary, secondary and special schools. Entries can include everything from wildlife areas and outdoor classrooms to planters, courtyards and sensory gardens, celebrating the role schools play in nurturing a love of nature.
There are dedicated categories for tenants and leaseholders in council-managed buildings too, including Best Private/Remote Garden, Best Community Gardens and Best Balcony or Container.
All shortlisted entries will automatically be considered for three special awards: Best in Show, People’s Choice and Most Biodiverse, recognising outstanding achievement and community impact.
The competition is free to enter and open to everyone, from first-time gardeners to seasoned growers. A panel of judges, including local gardening experts, will review all entries, with winners announced at an awards ceremony later in the year.
The deadline for entries is Monday 6 July 2026.
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