Cranswick Street is a typical terraced street in Moss Side, Manchester with a pretty awful reputation; it’s an economically deprived area and has had many social problems. Fed up with the crime, a few of the neighbours got together and decided to try and clean up the street. Although the houses do not have any front gardens, they successfully applied for funding for a hanging basket for each person. Neighbours with drills installed a basket to each house and they held a pick your own bloom day for all the residents. Visually the street has changed beyond recognition; the vandalism has stopped, crime has reduced and the residents' group is going from strength to strength.
'We got some money from “in Bloom” for the baskets and flowers, everyone that had a drill was drilling and I'm thinking wow, this is what you call a community. Individually you know we don't stand a chance but as a group we have a lot of voice going on.'
Wendy Simms, Cranswick Street It’s Your Neighbourhood group, Manchester in Bloom
From the outside, Dobson Court could be just any other tower block in the area. But go through the gate in the fence and it’s like entering a magical Technicolor dream-world. The garden has turned what could be a block where everyone is isolated in their own flat into one of the most inclusive places to live and has made a real community of the residents.
'It's a lovely garden; there is a lot that appreciate it. I'm proud of it, really proud of it, because when people's families come, and they show them, they are so proud of living here'
Hilda Heydon, resident Dobson Court, Manchester in Bloom
Patrick English has made the communal garden of some flats in Bethnal Green into such a tropical paradise that people veer off from Columbia Road market to come take a look.
'People queue up there with their cameras. I get letters from people congratulating me on the garden. The last ones were from Norway and France.'
Patrick English, resident Chambord Street, Tower Hamlets in Bloom
Cable Street Community Gardens is situated on the Docklands Light Railway line in East London. Jane Sill was one of the founding members 25 years ago and has seen the gardens change over the years.
'We're not an allotment, we're a community garden. To begin with we used to have loads and loads of Irish Welsh and Scots people. We've got quite a lot of Asian people, they're fantastic gardeners. We've got Japanese. You can tell the Japanese, they're very neat and very organised. A South Korean guy, West Indian, Maltese, and we've our first Eastern European. So you'll see each garden reflect what people like to eat, like to see, or it reminds them of back home.'
Jane Sill, Cable Street Community Gardens It’s Your Neighbourhood group, Tower Hamlets in Bloom
Denise and Dudley McGowan have spent seven years building up their garden into an organic and wildlife friendly haven. The garden is well known in the area and they actively encourage visitors to enjoy it. In addition they grow a lot of vegetables which they put out on the roadside with an honesty box. This is their first year venturing into the bee-keeping world. In fact they had been to bee school the day before this photograph and were keen to try out their new skills.
"We are going to be marking the queen bee later on. If you mark your queen bee you can keep your hive under control."
Denise and Dudley McGowan, Oakfields residents, Fareham in Bloom
Mrs Deadman has been entering the individual front garden competition of Castle Point in Bloom for 11 years and she gets a lot of comments from passers-by.
'I had two very nice letters from people, without an address on, to say how nice the garden is. I have done quite well. I've got a few trophies. I usually start thinking about the colour scheme for next year as soon as the summer is over. I think about what colours I'm going to have. And some of it is hit and miss actually! I don't like it to be too laid out. I love it out here, I'm out in all weathers. Unless its really hammering it down.'
Mrs Deadman, Church Road resident , Castle Point in Bloom
Frank Dawson formed East Gauchalland Community Garden in East Ayrshire in an old mining community with a high unemployment rate. They used to have gangs of youths running through vandalising the area. Frank set up raised gardens at the end of each road and got the young people in the area involved.
'A lot of community spirit has been lost and this kind of thing has snapped it up again. I would recommend this for any group of people that want to improve their area, wanting to work together again and have a good neighbourhood.'
Frank Dawson, East Gauchalland Community Garden It’s Your Neighbourhood Group, East Ayrshire in Bloom