Categories and prize
Categories for 2026
- Allotment - Show off your productive plot. It’s great to see a good mix of veggies and fruit, and we always love a few flowers tucked in to help the bees. You don’t need a perfectly weed-free plot, but we do look for signs of regular care—tidy paths, healthy plants, and a bit of that classic allotment resourcefulness, like using water butts or home-made compost.
- Communal & Community Managed Space - a chance for groups to shine. We’re looking for those special spots, like a shared seating area or a herb patch, that make life better for everyone nearby. We really want to see the team effort. It’s about residents working together on this space rather than hiring a professional gardener to do the work.
- Small Space (balcony, patio, courtyard, mostly pots and planters) - Show us how creative you can be. You don’t need a massive lawn to make an impact! This category is all about how you’ve transformed a smaller area using pots, planters, and even your walls or railings. We’re looking for a clever use of space, healthy-looking plants, and a splash of colour or a nice variety of herbs
- Front Garden - Brighten up your street. Does your garden make people stop and smile as they walk past? It doesn’t have to be intricate, just a nice balance of permanent shrubs and some bright seasonal flowers that show you take real pride in your corner of the neighbourhood.
- Wildlife-Friendly Garden - Encourage biodiversity and support nature. We are looking for gardens that offer a helping hand to our local wildlife, think bird feeders, bug hotels, or even a small pond or log pile. If you’re choosing plants that feed the bees and butterflies and letting a few wild patches grow for creatures to hide in, this is the category for you.
- Newcomer - If you’ve never entered before or you haven’t entered in the last five years
- Tallest Sunflower - a fun challenge specifically in schools for children aged five to eight and nine to 12. We’ll be in touch with schools directly.
Prize
This year’s Runnymede in Bloom competition is set to be bigger and better than ever, with fantastic prizes generously donated by Squires Garden Centre to reward the borough’s green-fingered champions!
Category Winners
The winner of each category will receive a £50 Squires Garden Centre voucher, perfect for adding new plants, tools, or decorative touches to their garden. Runners-up won’t leave empty-handed either, as they’ll receive a £35 Squires Garden Centre voucher to continue their gardening journey.
Sunflower Competition - Schools Challenge
The sunflower challenge is all about encouraging young gardeners to grow the tallest sunflower in their age group, with each class growing one sunflower to compete for the top spot! The winning classes will reap some fantastic rewards!
Reception - Year 3
The class that grows the tallest sunflower will win a Pot Gang Vegetable Growing Kit, packed with everything needed to start a mini vegetable garden, plus a £10 Squires voucher to inspire even more gardening fun.
Year 4 - Year 6
The tallest sunflower in this category will earn the winning class another Pot Gang Vegetable Growing Kit, along with a £10 Squires voucher to keep their green thumbs busy.
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