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Gardening Competition

Our Gardening Competition is back for 2026. Whether you have a garden, a few pots, patio, or a veggie patch, get involved. Find out more!

Ready to show off your garden?

Gardens do more than look good. They support wildlife, improve wellbeing, and help keep Wythenshawe green and healthy. By entering, our Gardening Competition you’ll be celebrating our Garden City heritage and helping nature thrive.

No gardening experience needed! This competition is for beginners, experienced gardeners, young people, and those with small spaces. It’s all about creativity, community pride, and making the most of what you have.

Categories

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: 

  • Under 18

    For young gardeners who love plants and nature.

  • Most improved

    Show how your garden (or communal space) has changed with before and after photos.

  • Small space

    For patios, planters, hanging baskets, or compact gardens (excluding balconies).

  • Communal

    For shared gardens that benefit a group of people.

  • Wythenshawe Community Housing Group tenants

    Any garden or small space looked after by one of our tenants.

  • Best overall

    Winners from each category will be considered for the top prize.

Prizes

  • £100 gift card (winner in each category)
  • A bag of gardening goodies
  • Runner-up prizes available
  • Category winners will be entered into the Best Overall Garden

How to enter

Ready to enter?

  • Complete the entry form (available here from Monday 29th June)
  • Upload up to 5 photos of your garden
  • Include before and after photos for the ‘Most Improved’ category

Entries open: Monday 29th June 2026

Closing date: Friday 31st July 2026 (11:59pm)

This competition is supported by Bespoke.

Free gardening starter packs

Ready to breathe new life into your garden? Thinking about entering but not sure how to begin? We’re here to help!

We have a limited number of garden starter packs available exclusively for our tenants. The packs are perfect for anyone who wants to improve their outdoor space and needs a little boost to get started. Each pack includes helpful essentials such as seeds, plug plants, plant pots and compost.

  • Apply for your garden starter pack

    Get your gardening starter pack

    Starter packs are offered on a first come, first served basis, and you must be a tenant of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group to qualify.

    If you'd like a starter pack, please complete the form by Monday 13th April 2026.

    Full name

    Contact information

    Garden Competition reminder(Required)
    Our Garden Competition is open from 29th June to 31st July 2026. Would you like us to contact you with details on how to enter once the competition opens?
    Stay in touch(Required)
    We’d love to celebrate your progress! Are you happy for us to stay in touch with you so you can share photos of the improvements you make using your starter pack?
    For more information about how we use personal data, see our privacy notice.

Get your garden competition-ready

Gardening tool hire

Borrow a mower or strimmer from our Gardening Tool Hire service at Benchill Community Centre. Tool hire costs just £1 or £5 and is available to residents, local groups and volunteers.

Hire gardening tools

Competition criteria

  • Who can enter?

    • Anyone with a garden in the M22 or M23 postcode areas can enter their garden into a category (except for the ‘Wythenshawe Community Housing Group Tenant’ category, where specific criteria apply).
    • It is possible to enter more than one category if appropriate.
    • Under 18 category: Must be under 18 at the time of entry. Must live within M22 or M23 postcode areas.
    • Communal category: The garden or small space must benefit a group of residents or be open to the wider public.
    • ‘Wythenshawe Community Housing Group Tenant’ category: Entrants must be a tenant of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group. For communal gardens or group entries into this category, the garden must be maintained by at least one Wythenshawe Community Housing Group tenant and it must benefit Wythenshawe Community Housing Group customers.
    • Balconies are excluded from the competition. Due to fire safety regulations residents are asked to keep all balconies and walkways clear.

  • How do I enter?

    • Entrants need to submit the short entry form and up to 5 photographs by the deadline.
    • Winners of each of the following categories will be put into the ‘Best Overall’ category: Most Improved, Small Space, Communal, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group Tenant.
    • Deadline for entries is Friday 31st July 2026 at 23:59pm.

  • How will gardens be judged?

    • Gardens will be judged on their design, plant care, sustainability, creativity and best use of the space available.
    • Environmental sustainability is an important part of the competition. Gardens will be judged on how well you have thought about the following:
      • Attracting wildlife and supporting biodiversity (e.g. with plant selection, maintenance techniques, bird boxes, hedgehog houses, bug hotels)
      • Growing your own fruit, veg or herbs
      • Reducing water use
      • Reusing or recycling materials
    • Under 18 category: This category is about the gardener, rather than the garden. The entrant could tend to one garden or volunteer to help several. The category will be judged on passion, learning new skills, creativity and enthusiasm for the environment.
    • Most Improved category: This category will also be judged on the difference that has been made to the garden since work began. We will require before and after photos.
    • Shortlisting will take place during August 2026. We may ask to visit your garden as part of the judging.
    • Winners will be announced in September 2026.

  • What are the prizes?

    • For each of the main categories (Under 18, Most Improved, Small Space, Communal, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group Tenant) there will be a 1st prize and up to two runners-up.
    • There will be one winner for the ‘Best Overall’ category.

  • Is there anything else I need to know?

    • We may suspend, cancel or amend the competition where it becomes necessary to do so.
    • By filling in this form /submitting your details through the post you are giving your consent to be entered into this giveaway.
    • The personal information you have provided will be used for the purposes of administering the Gardening Competition and prize draw. The information will be stored securely and accessed by only those who need it. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting sustainability@wchg.org.uk and letting us know.
    • If you enter the competition we may use photos of your entry in our marketing, including on social media.
    • If you enter, we will ask for your consent to feature you on our social media pages / website, including future competitions. For more information about how we will use your personal data see our customer engagement and competitions privacy notice.
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