A FRONT garden competition will take place in Henley for the first time in about five years this summer as part of the town’s Britain in Bloom celebrations.
The contest aims to highlight the best front gardens in the town and is organised by Henley in Bloom and the town council, which has partnered with the Henley Standard.
The last front garden competition was held in 2019 but was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic the following year.
All residents with gardens visible from the public highway are able to enter, regardless of their gardening ability and the size of their front garden.
This includes residents that have paved frontages with planting or balconies, who are also welcome to enter.
There are four judging categories for the competition, including the best kept front garden that is well-maintained, the best front garden for nature that provides benefit for wildlife and biodiversity with judges looking for pollinators, habitat creation and sustainable gardening practices, the best front garden for horticulture which will be judged on gardening skill and plant knowledge and the most innovative front garden which rewards originality.
In the fourth category, judges will look for creative use of space, particularly in small front gardens, or those with unique features that stand out among others.
Speaking at a Henley in Bloom meeting, chair Kellie Hinton said: “I think it’s absolutely brilliant that we’re hosting the competition this year.
“I’m very excited to be organising this because I haven’t really been involved with it before.
“I have seen in the past how much the awards for the competition mean to people, everyone gets quite emotional because it means a lot to be recognised. I’ve even seen people cry.”
Town clerk Sheridan Jacklin-Edward said: “One of the things people love most about Bloom is seeing the pride that residents take in their homes and neighbourhoods. The front garden competition is a wonderful way to celebrate that effort, creativity and community spirit.
“We hope people will enjoy taking part and being inspired by the fantastic gardens around them.”
Entrants should register their gardens online and can enter as many competition categories as they would like.
Judging will take place in the week beginning Monday, July 13, with the winners being announced in the Henley Standard on Friday, July 24.
All winners will be invited to a reception with Mayor Ian Reissmann in September.
For more information on the categories and how to enter, visit https://form.jotform.com/261583436183057
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