Stratford in Bloom Annual Competition Awards 2026

 
Stratford in Bloom celebrated the wonderful achievements of our town’s gardeners, schools, businesses and community groups at our annual awards evening, held at Stratford Town Hall on Monday evening.
 
The winners arrived to the beautiful sound of pianist Peter Summers, who provided a wonderful musical welcome to the evening.
 
The Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon, Councillor Sam Macnaught Barrow, joined us for the evening and read a few words on behalf of our MP, Manuela Perteghella, who was unable to be present.
 
The Mayor then presented the awards, beginning with our schools, whose imaginative and inspiring projects demonstrated just how much enthusiasm children have for nature and the environment. It was particularly lovely to see the children themselves there to receive their recognition.
 
We then celebrated our community gardens, followed by our business gardens and displays, before moving on to the front gardens and wildlife gardens. The evening concluded with the presentation of the award for the Best Overall Front Garden.
 
Cohl Warren- Howles - Chair of Stratford in Bloom
 
 
Schools 
  • Winner - Stratford Primary School
  •  Highly Commended - St Gregory’s
Nursery Schools
  • Winner - Broad Street Cygnets
  •  Highly Commended - Caring Kindergartens 
Community Gardens
  • Winner - Guild Cottages
  •  Highly commended - Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust
  •  Highly Commended - Tiddington Village Residents Association 
Businesses
  •  Winner - The White Swan
  •  Highly Commended - The Hathaways 35 Evesham Place
  •  Highly Commended - The RSC
Front Garden Winners
  •  Albany - Small front - Lily Cottage , 23 Albany Road
  •  Avenue - Small front - 2 Hares Leap / Traditional - 24 Orrian Close
  •  Bishopton - Small - 11 Gifford Walk / Traditional - 5 Trevelyan Crescent
  •  Brookside - Small - 17 Bromford Way / Traditional - 14 Baker Avenue
  •  Clopton - Traditional - 14 Flower Road
  •  Darlow - Small - 5 Darlow Drive / Traditional - 42 Emmerson Avenue
  •  Guildhall & Bridgetown - Small - 5 Saffron Walk / Traditional - 12b Scholars Lane
  •  Hathaway - 259 Alcester Road
  •  Orchard Hill - Small - 76 Longfellow Road / Traditional - 14 Coleridge Close
  •  Shottery - Small - 84 Wetherby Way / Traditional - Lark Rise, 46 Hathaway Lane
  •  Tiddington - Small - 56 Blackberry Lane / Traditional - 256 Tiddington Road
  •  Welcombe - Small - 6 Walkers Road
Wildlife
  • Winner - 4 The Sett
  • Highly Commended - 74 Meadow Close
  • Highly Commended - 39 Sandringham Avenue
  • Highly Commended - 1 Masefield Road
Overall Best Front Garden Winner
  • 259 Alcester Road
Every year we are struck by the care, creativity and sheer variety of the gardens entered into the Stratford in Bloom competition. From small traditional gardens to wildlife-friendly spaces and community projects, they all make a contribution to the character and beauty of Stratford.
 
But increasingly, our awards are about much more than beautiful gardens. They also reflect a growing awareness of the important role gardens and green spaces can play in supporting wildlife, pollinators and biodiversity, while helping us to respond to a changing climate.
 
This was particularly highlighted by our presentation from Judith Conroy, a Stratford in Bloom committee member and Research Fellow in Sustainable Horticulture at Coventry University. Judith spoke about Climate Resilient Gardening looking at ways in which our gardens can be cared for with the challenges of a changing climate in mind. It was a fitting theme for an evening which celebrated not only what people have achieved in their own gardens, but also the wider contribution that gardeners, schools, businesses and community groups are making to our environment.
 
At Stratford in Bloom, we are delighted to see such enthusiasm for planting, gardening and creating spaces that are good for people and wildlife alike. Every garden, however large or small, has the potential to make a difference.
 
We would like to thank everyone who helped this year. The Mayor, the Town Councillors, our MP Manuela Perteghella for her kind words and Peter Summers for playing the piano and Rookes for helping to make the evening so enjoyable and of course all the people whose hard work and enthusiasm throughout the year make Stratford such a beautiful place.
 
The awards evening was a lovely opportunity to come together and celebrate those efforts and to recognise that beautiful gardens and caring for our environment can go hand in hand.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Stratford in Bloom Award Giving Evening 2025

 

 

What a Blooming lovely evening it was. The winners of the schools and nurseries challenge and the winners of the best front gardens, wildlife friendly, community and Bed and Breakfast's gardens, Business displays arrived to the captivating sound of the piano played by Peter Summers. 
 
The evening started with the lovely words from our MP Manuela Perteghella, followed by a short talk by Judith Conroy Researcher in Sustainable Horticulture at Coventry University and Stratford in Bloom Committee member, on wildlife friendly flowers. 
 
The awards were then presented by the Mayor, Councillor Dani Hunter. 
 
As we all know, this summer has been lovely, but the sun has been merciless to our gardens. But Stratford in Bloom have been blown away by the winning gardens. Some that were judged were established gardens, some very new, all different but all an inspiration. It was such a pleasure to see the hard work and dedication that people put into their gardens both large and small.  As a committee we had a very difficult time deciding on the winners.  
The schools and nurseries project challenge was equally difficult to decide, with the pupils using so much imagination and ingenuity.
 
A massive congratulations to everyone.
 
I would like to thank everyone who came to make it such a lovely evening, Manuella Perteghella for her kind words, Mayor Councillor Dani Hunter for presenting the awards, Peter Summers for his beautiful skills on the piano, Dan at Rookes for the refreshments, our contractor Plantscape for sponsorship, the Town Councillors for their hard word in carrying out the initial judging in the wards, the Town Council staff for use of the Town Hall, Rosalind Winter for organising our raffle and Mark Williamson for taking the photographs for Stratford Herald and everyone else who helped make it such an enjoyable evening.
 
We are a small committee of volunteers that love to make Stratford a vibrant, colourful and wildlife friendly place to live. We are always on the lookout for volunteers.
 
Happy gardening and here are the winners.
 
Cohl Warren- Howles - Chair of Stratford in Bloom
 
 
Schools & Nursery Challenge
  • Winner - Alveston Primary School
  • Highly Commended - Hampton Lucy C of E Primary School.
    To view schools challenge page - CLICK HERE
 
Front garden winners by ward 
  • Avenue – 24 Orrian Close
  • Albany – 64 Albany Road
  • Bishopton – 82 Trevelyan Crescent
  • Brookside – 14 Baker Avenue
  • Clopton – 30 Sycamore Close
  • Darlow – 4 Farnell Drive
  • Guildhall & Bridgetown – 12b Scholars Lane
  • Hathaway – 30 East Green Drive
  • Orchard Hill – 14 Coleridge Close
  • Shottery – 46 Hathaway Lane
  • Tiddington – 265 Tiddington Road
  • Welcombe – 7 Vincent Avenue
 
Overall Front Garden Winner
  • 46 Hathaway Lane
 
Wildlife Gardens
  • 1st – 74 Meadow Close
  • Highly Commended – 39 Sandringham Avenue & 1 Masefield Road
 
Business Displays
  • 1st – Rose & Crown
  • Highly Commended – Shrieves Walk
 
B&Bs
  • Mil-Mar, 96 Alcester Road
 
Community
  • 1st – Guild Cottages
  • Highly Commended - Lifeways

 

Please click here for competition winners list 2025

 

Stratford in Bloom Annual Competition Awards 2024

 
 
2024 Competition winners met at the Town Hall on 19th September. The evening was hosted by Chair Cohl Warren-Howles and the Deputy Mayor Cllr Dani Hunter presented the awards.
 
It was a delightful evening with the backdrop of piano music played by Peter Summers. A talk on How to make your own compost by Judith Conroy Researcher in Sustainable Horticulture at Coventry University kicked off the event before the prizes were awarded.
 

Please click here for competition winner list

Stratford in Bloom Annual Competition Awards 2023

Stratford in Bloom’s Annual Competition Award giving evening was held at the Town Hall on Thursday 21 st September.

Chair of Stratford in Bloom, Cohl Warren-Howles hosted the event with the Mayor Cllr Kate Rolfe presenting the winning awards.

There was a warm welcome to all the winners of the best front gardens, school environmental projects, Business displays including best B&B/Guest Houses, Hospitality and Town Retail, Wildlife Friendly gardens and Community gardens.

Glasses clinked and the beautiful sound of piano music played by Peter Summers filled the Ballroom of the Town Hall.

A short environmental talk was given by Judith Conroy, a Stratford in Bloom Committee member and Researcher at Coventry University.

Please click here for competition winner list