NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Competition categories and nomination form for Reading In Bloom 2025 can be found below.
Residential
Front Garden Under 12ft
Front door to highway must be under 12ft
Sponsored by Haslams
Front Garden Over 12ft
Front door to highway must be over 12ft
Sponsored by Haslams
Hanging Baskets, Balconies and Window Boxes
Must be visible from the highway
Sponsored by Top Cars
Container Garden
Must be visible from the highway
Sponsored by Top Cars
Schools
Best Maintained School
Floral displays, tree planting and vegetable plots
Best Eco-Friendly or Forest School
Educating children through supporting wildlife
Community Gardens
Small
Most well maintained and attractive serving the community
Sponsored by Cherubs Floral Design
Large
Most well maintained and attractive serving the community
Sponsored by Hilton Reading
Commercial
Small
Most well maintained, attractive and visual impact
Sponsored by Cream Design
Large
Most well maintained, attractive and visual impact
Sponsored by REDA
Allotments
Eco-Friendly
Consideration to environment, sustainability and wildlife
Sponsored by The Oracle
Most Attractive and Well Maintained
Seasonal vegetable and floral
Community Allotment
Bringing community projects together
Pubs AND Restaurants
Most Attractive and Well Maintained Frontage
Visual impact of seasonal well maintained planting, including container, hanging baskets and table displays
Sponsored by Reading BID
Most Attractive and Well Maintained Rear Garden/Terrace
Visual impact of seasonal well maintained planting, including container, hanging baskets and table display
Sponsored by Reading BID
Wellbeing Garden
Wellbeing Garden – Promoting Health and Wellbeing
Corporate, sensory, schools, hospitals, hospices, care homes, community and public gardens
Sponsored by AB Walker
Entry Criteria
You do not have to have a professionally designed or expensive garden to enter this competition.
Judges are interested in the visual impact, floral content/colour, sustainability and variety of seasonal planting. Importance is placed on the maintenance in all of the categories, for example, watering, pruning, de-heading and weeding. A consideration to environment and wildlife, is also looked on favourably by the judging team.
All properties must be within the boundaries of Reading Borough Council. All residential entries must be clearly visible from the highway. All judging is carried out by Reading In Bloom Committee.
Entries will close on Tuesday 1 July 2025. Judging will take place by mid July. All shortlisted entries will be notified in September and invited to the awards ceremony in October.
If you are nominating a third party, please ensure you complete their name and address, so we can confirm that they are happy to be included in the judging process.
Allotment is defined as a plot rented from Reading Borough Council or on private or community land run by an individual or group. It need not be visible from the highway.