Harrogate in Bloom

Throughout the year, this local voluntary group organises a number of competitions to recognise endeavour and to encourage more people to garden, care for the environment or support local community activities.

There’s competitions for allotments, primary school children, communal grounds, private homes, pubs and restaurants, hotels and guest houses and business premises. 

​This year there are two new awards.  Best School Garden which went to Rossett School for its Sensory Garden.  The second is a very special award presented to the person who it is considered has made an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Team Harrogate’s in bloom campaign’.  This inaugural award was presented to Jane Blayney Chair of the Friends of the Valley Gardens who under Jane’s stewardship have  just received a third consecutive Platinum Medal in the regional Yorkshire in Bloom Awards.

​Pam Grant, President of Harrogate in Bloom and Chair of Team Harrogate congratulates and thanks everyone who took part.  She added: “We had some excellent entries and some welcome new entries including the beautiful small garden at The Fat Badger and the outstanding garden at Rogers Almshouses created to celebrate its 2018 centenary.  Large or small gardens bring enjoyment to everyone but it’s not without hard work!”.

​Harrogate in Bloom would also like to thank David Wilson Homes who came on board this year to sponsor the awards afternoon.  And finally to all the bakers who provided the afternoon tea.

Harrogate in Bloom 2018 award winners:

​Harrogate in Bloom President's Trophy - Harlow Hill Allotments

​Mayor's Award - Chris Beard

​David Wilson Homes Outstanding Contribution to Team Harrogate’s in bloom campaign - Jane Blayney

​Harrogate in Bloom Shield - The Fat Badger

​Harrogate in Bloom Henson Tankard - Alistair Baldwin 

Betty's Trophy (Residential Community) -Swan Court

​Crowther Memorial Trophy - St Andrew’s Police Treatment Centre

​Harlow Carr Boarding Kennels Trophy (Commercial and Retail Properties) -Raworths Solicitors

​Harrogate Civic Society Shield (My Garden) - Charles Garner

​Harrogate Chamber of Trade Trophy (Communal Grounds) - Low Harrogate Bowling Club

​Harrogate Borough Council Yorkshire Rose Shield (Pubs and Restaurants) - The Winter Gardens

​Hotels and Guesthouses’ Association Trophy  - The White Hart Hotel

​Hammond Mann Trophy - Rossett School

​Edgar Scholey Trophy (Best Allotment Site) - Northern Outfall 

​Harrogate Borough Council Trophy (Best Allotment Plot) - Fiona Walker, Northern Outfall

​Christine Dean Cup - Richard Taylor Primary School

​McCrindle Trophy - Rogers’ Almshouses

Harrogate Borough Council produces 600 hanging baskets for the town as part of its summer display but in partnership with Harrogate in Bloom it also provides a further 134 at a subsidised rate.  These baskets are made available to town centre businesses.  The council's award winning Parks and Environmental Services Team grow the plants, produce the baskets, then hang, water and maintain them throughout the summer.

Lynne Mee, Hanging Basket co-ordinator for Harrogate in Bloom, thanks all the businesses who have taken part this year.  She added: "Many of these businesses have been buying baskets from us for years but it is lovely to have new companies on board this year particularly Susie Watson Designs and India Mahon Jewellery who are new businesses in the Montpellier Quarter.   Nearly all businesses in the Quarter will be putting up hanging baskets so the area is going to look even more lovely.  Our flower beds, parks and gardens are always stunning but the hanging baskets at shops, cafes, restaurants and offices are always popular and do add something to the front of business premises.

"Visitors are vital to Harrogate's economy so as always we are trying to make sure the town looks its best.   We have an outstanding In Bloom record having won the Yorkshire in Bloom title 33 times, Britain in Bloom 12 times and Europe in Bloom twice the only town ever to have achieved that double.  We’ll be pulling out all the stops to be ready for Yorkshire in Bloom judging day on 18 July.”

The council’s central nursery grows 277,000 summer bedding plants from seed and about 24,000 of them will be used in the 800 hanging baskets that it puts up around the district.   The council is always looking to reduce impact on natural resources and no longer uses moss in these baskets.  They also use baskets that have a gallon water reservoir so that plants can draw up water as they need it.  It also means the council only needs to top up every three days or so depending on the weather. This is less stressful for plants too as they are not constantly becoming dry and then wet.  So that’s why our baskets are so beautiful!

The hanging baskets will go up first week in June and businesses taking part in this year's scheme are:
Barber & Mack; Bijou Hair; Berwins Solicitors; Bespoke Eyewear; Caffe Marconi; Carter Jonas; Castle Galleries; Cordings Ltd; Covet Lifestyle Store; Drum and Monkey; Duttons for Buttons; Eura Audit UK; Exchange Place; Farrow and Ball; Fit to Bust; Furnish and Fettle; Verity Frearson; Giannis Trattoria; Richard Grafton Interiors; H2K of Harrogate; Hales Bar; Hamptons Jewellers; Harrogate Borough Council Parking Services; Harrogate Fine Wine Company; Harrogate International Festival; Hawico of Scotland; Hoopers; HSBC; Hunters Property Group; India Mahon Jewellery; Jespers of Harrogate; Knight Frank; Lawrance Apart-hotel; Linley & Simpson; Magpie Greeting Cards; Manning Stainton; Maturi; Montpellier Property Consultants; The Montpellier Public House; Montpellier Quarter Retail Group; Morgan Clare; Morphets of Harrogate; Myrings Estate Agents; NatWest; North Park Dental Service; Ogdens of Harrogate; Old Bell Tavern; Owl Menswear; Quantro Restaurant; Rose Velvet; Serenity Spa; Specsavers; Spirit of Harrogate; St Peter's Church; Susie Watson Designs; G A Taylor Jewellers; Townhouse Design; Treatment Rooms;
Victoria Shopping Centre; Yorkshire Bank.

​Mary Mann, Harrogate in Bloom's competition administrator is urging anyone who is proud of their garden to enter. She added:  "Most gardeners garden for their own enjoyment but they actually bring pleasure to many.  We are all guilty of taking a quick peek over the hedge or through the gate as we pass by.  There are wonderful blooming business premises too.  Some have manicured gardens and others excellent window boxes or hanging baskets.  We want to celebrate all these gardens.

“Harrogate in Bloom works a lot with local schools and many of them are getting pupils involved in creating their own gardens so they can enjoy fresh air, learn about horticulture and in many cases grow their own vegetables.  These young people are the gardeners of the future and we want to do all we can to encourage them.”

Large or small, all your own work or a team effort or even with an employed gardener, Harrogate in Bloom would like to see you enter this year and would love to show the Yorkshire in Bloom judges some of the summer garden entries. The judges will be in town in July.

All entrants will be invited to Harrogate in Bloom's Awards Afternoon on Sunday, 23 September 2018 at the Old Swan Hotel when the winners will be announced. ​

Entries from schools should be in by 15 June and by 1 July for Residents (front gardens) and Businesses (including pubs and restaurants, retail and commercial, hotels and guest houses, care homes and communal grounds).

The awards are sponsored by Transdev. 

Younger children coloured in the word B L O O M and the older ones were invited to choose and illuminate one letter to create the winning word which will be designed and printed by the North of England Horticultural Society.  It will displayed at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show and the Bloom Exhibition in York and will also be shown to the Yorkshire in Bloom Judges when they visit Harrogate in July.

Pam Grant, President of Harrogate in Bloom, said:  “We were approached by The Granby Care Home late last year as they wanted to see how they could support Harrogate’s in bloom campaign.  We were delighted to get together to come up with ideas and The Granby seemed perfect for the awards ceremony for our children’s art competition.  We know that young children bring pleasure with their zest for life and we thought residents would enjoy the ceremony.

“It turned into a delightful afternoon with the young and old enjoying each other’s company.  We were not totally unselfish by bringing the event to The Granby.  The Yorkshire in Bloom judging criteria includes us having to demonstrate how we encourage all age-groups and sectors of our town.  This is a very good example and we hope to do more with The Granby.”

The Granby Care Home is owned by brighterkind, one of the UK’s leading care companies, and has just completed the final phase of an ambitious £2M refurbishment, including the beautifully-restored crystal Ballroom where the awards ceremony was held.

Home Manager Karen Auker say The Granby’s beautiful communal rooms are regularly used by the groups and societies of Harrogate.  The Granby is now bursting with life and the residents and brighterkind team are excited to be involved in its evolving place in the Harrogate community.  She added: “We want to breathe new life into The Granby by bringing the community into the home for the health and well-being of our residents, but also by giving back to the people of Harrogate whose love of The Granby goes back a long way and will continue well into the future.”

Every child who entered received a certificate and all winners received family tickets to the Harrogate Spring Flower Show, a Flower Show mug and mascot ‘Pod’.  

Harrogate in Bloom thanks Harrogate Flower Shows for their generous sponsorship of the awards and Harrogate Borough Council and The Granby Care Home for their support.


The list of all winners:

Eleanor Adrian-Horrocks   Oatlands Junior School

Belle Amin                            Kindercare Pannal Ash

Madeleine  Clay                   Brackenfield School

Jane Cooke                           Brackenfield School

Amelia Jackson                    Richard Taylor Primary School

Abigail McLean                    Coppice Valley Primary School

Louisa Stokes                      Western Primary School
Yasmin Stokes                     Western Primary School

Freya Tiffney                        Richard Taylor Primary School



Note to Editors:  The Granby Care Home is owned by brighterkind, one of the UK’s leading care companies offering both residential and nursing care.  brighterkind care is a person-centred approach that is delivered through quality care, recreation and activities, and food and dining.  2017 saw brighterkind awarded 'Residential Care Provider of the year 2017' with judges describing their ‘Magic Moments’ and ‘Wishing Well’ activities as 'inspirational'.  The group has also been shortlisted for the Health Investor 'Residential Care Provider of the year 2018'.  The Granby, which has just completed the final phase of an ambitious £2M refurbishment, now boasts a well-stocked library, an opulent cinema, a spacious and calming wellbeing suite, a relaxing café and the stunning, beautifully-restored crystal Ballroom.

Each January as winter has us firmly in its grips Harrogate in Bloom is already thinking about spring as this month they traditionally launch their annual children's art competition.

Last year's competition attracted record entries of over 800 with younger children colouring in a garden and older ones designing a garden bed.

Pam Grant, President of Harrogate in Bloom, says the general theme is always about flowers and plants but is being made especially obvious this year.  She added: 'For 2018, we are focussing on the word B L O O M.  We will provide templates and ask pre-prep/reception classes to colour in the whole word and KS1 and KS2 groups are being asked to choose and 'illuminate' one letter.

'We are extremely grateful to Harrogate Flower Shows who are again supporting our competition.  As well as providing prizes for the winners, they are also paying for the enlarging and printing of the winning 'B L O O M'.  It is going to be very eye catching.'

The winning entries will go on display at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show and the Bloom Exhibition in York. They will also be shown to the Yorkshire in Bloom Judges when they judge Harrogate in July.

The competition is open to all nurseries and primary schools in Harrogate.  Entry packs can be obtained from info@flowershow.org.  The closing date for entries is 4 March and the awards will be presented by the Mayor of Harrogate, Councillor Anne Jones, at a presentation to be held at the Granby Residential Home on Saturday 24 March 2018.