Winner of the Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2026, Stonehouse in Bloom has impressed judges with its community-led approach to tree care, with all residents taking on the role of ‘tree custodians’
Stonehouse in Bloom has been crowned Overall Winner of the Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2026. The Gloucestershire town impressed judges with its ‘array of horticultural gems’ and the ‘very green fingered’ volunteers who care for them. But it was its one-of-a-kind tree management plan, which aims to grow Stonehouse into an arboretum, that made the Bloom group really stand out.
“It’s fantastic to see how much Stonehouse is investing in its urban forest and the real community effort behind it,” said Darren Share, Britain in Bloom Chair of Judges.
Established in 2021, the town’s community arboretum is a project of growing national significance. It’s home to thousands of young and centenary trees across public and private land, which Bloom volunteers help care for by watering, mulching, weeding and planting new specimens.
“Our arboretum is rather unique because its boundaries are the boundaries of Stonehouse,” said John Parker, the Stonehouse resident who created the management plan and Chief Executive Officer at the Arboricultural Association. “As such, every tree in Stonehouse is part of the arboretum, even those in people’s private gardens. Residents are encouraged to see themselves as ‘tree custodians’, temporary owners of the land on which a tree might have been growing for centuries.”
Among approximately 150 species are climate-resilient varieties such as Platanus x hispanica, Gingko biloba, Prunus serrula and Taxodium distichum. Trees are selected with input from residents, but species with a large canopy at maturity and resilience to pest and diseases are generally preferred.
The plan is now referenced as ‘best practice’ in a Trees and Woodland Strategy Toolkit funded by Defra and has inspired an Arboretum Management Plan in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. John regularly speaks about the project at conferences across the country and abroad, and in April 2026, Stonehouse hosted the Arboricultural Association’s Green Equity Symposium, welcoming 100 delegates from across the UK and overseas.
“After five years of observation, we are currently reviewing the plan before presenting an updated version in early 2027,” said John. Targets include increasing Stonehouse’s tree canopy cover from 18.8% to 30% by 2040 and ensuring at least 95% of newly planted trees are still alive three years after planting. “Beyond the numbers, one thing is certain: locals are more interested in trees than ever and visitors now come to Stonehouse just to see the arboretum.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the work of Stonehouse in Bloom volunteers and the support of Stonehouse Town Council. It’s a real community effort and one which I hope everyone feels proud to be part of.”
Stonehouse in Bloom volunteers have planted 46 trees since 2021. “There’s nothing more satisfying, but even more important for us is to ensure they survive for generations to come,” said Pam Swain, Chair of Stonehouse in Bloom.
The volunteers also promote tree walks and educational activities with schools and have recently developed a trail map that tells the town’s history through its trees. “The arboretum is our legacy,” added volunteer Deborah Curtis. “Caring for it means contributing to the future health and wellbeing of our community.”
Stonehouse’s most iconic trees
“My garden has become a tree orphanage for Stonehouse,” said John. He’s growing around 120 trees in pots of varying sizes, including unusual and rare varieties and some donated by the local community. All of them will be planted around the town.
In 2026, 34 Bloom volunteers contributed 1,860 hours to caring for Stonehouse’s green spaces and floral displays. The town has been adorned with 50 hanging baskets and countless planters filled with colourful blooms, from pink pelargoniums and orange marigolds to red and white trailing begonias. Boat planters made by Stonehouse in Bloom member Bill Chambers celebrate Stonehouse’s identity as a canal town.
At the local railway station, 11 displays planted in collaboration with Great Western Railway brighten the platforms. Just outside, a community allotment managed in partnership with the local charity Building Circles offers gardening experience to adults with learning disabilities.
“We grow all sorts of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers,” said volunteers Sarah Laming and Sue Walmsley, who manage the gardening sessions at the allotment. “We meet every Wednesday from March to October and, before going home, we always make sure to sit down for a drink and share the produce we have harvested.”
One of the users, Peter Martin, said: “I wasn’t a gardener before, but here I’ve learned a lot. Working at the allotment every week means so much to me and my favourite task is watering the plants.”
The project started in 2022 on previously neglected land that Network Rail made available to Stonehouse in Bloom. The volunteers have also created gardens on either side of the walkway leading to the station, adding new plantings and an open-air gallery themed around the RHS initiative Bringing Nature Home. Paintings by Mothers in Mind, Sunflowers Suicide Support, Park Schools Federation, Hopelands Preparatory School and Moreton Hill Care Home add an artistic touch to the space.
“The work we do across the town is greatly appreciated and this has a really positive impact on our wellbeing. That’s what Stonehouse in Bloom means to us,” said Pam. She became Chair of the group in 2018, succeeding Gary Powell, who founded the group in 2015 with his wife, Lin. Since then, Stonehouse in Bloom has reached the Britain in Bloom UK Finals three times.
Among the many improvements volunteers have made to the town over the years, the transformation of the Old Chapel Garden has had a particularly significant impact on the community. Pam explained: “The town was crying out for a quiet space near the High Street. The Old Chapel Garden, a churchyard until 1967, had become overgrown but is now a peaceful green oasis enjoyed by people of all ages.”
In 2015, Stonehouse in Bloom began helping the Town Council maintain the garden. Five years later, new paths, tables and seats were added. Six trees - Arbutus unedo, Prunus ’Accolade’, Prunus tibetica, Magnolia grandiflora, Amelanchier lamarckii and Acer palmatum - were also received as donations after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This place used to be a dumping ground, now I love it,” said volunteer Janet Chambers, who looks after the tropical garden with Denise Gasan and Chris Gallagher. “It’s a refuge for people, where you can relax and make friends.”
In the Old Chapel Garden, a raised bed has been filled with supermarket rejects. “We call it ’the sad trolley’ initiative, because those plants would go to waste if we didn’t rescue them. Instead, we use them in displays around the town - it’s a cost-effective way to make an impact!” added Janet.
From adopting planters with water reservoirs to building a sifter, Stonehouse in Bloom is exploring a range of environmentally-friendly initiatives. The group collects 3,000 litres of rainwater each year, with capacity set to increase to 5,000 litres from 2027, and uses only electric gardening tools.
In May 2026, a ‘dry bed’ was created outside Norville Opticians on the High Street. Sponsored by Stonehouse Court Hotel and designed by its Head Gardener, Marcus Shaw, the bed was planted with climate-change in mind.
“We want to educate the community about what can thrive with minimal watering,“ said Marcus. Euphorbias, agapanthus, Phormium, Erigeron and lavender are just some of the drought-tolerant species chosen for the bed.
An important ongoing project is taking place away from the town centre, along the canal, where a community space is being developed to strengthen Stonehouse’s identity as a canal town.
The site, owned by Stroud District Council, is now managed by the local Council with support from Ship Inn Community Enterprise (SpICE). “We have been trying to acquire this land for eight years and now are very close to getting it. It hasn’t been easy, but it was definitely worth it,” said Marcus Dixon and Deborah Curtis, Chair and Vice-Chair of SpICE.
Work started in October 2024, when 50 volunteers cleared the brambles that had completely covered the 0.6-acre site. Since then, an information board has been installed, alongside a pontoon and boardwalk where donors have been recognised with a brass plaque installed on each plank. A wheelchair-friendly walkway is under construction and trees including Tilia cordata ’Winter Orange’, Prunus ’Pandora’ and Cercidiphyllum japonicum are site.
“The space is a success. We welcomed 2,000 visitors this year across six events, including a Canal Festival and an Apple Day,“ said Marcus and Debbie. By 2030, the canal will also become part of the National Waterway Network.
Britain in Bloom 2026 UK Finals
Stonehouse in Bloom was one of 44 finalists in the Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2026. As well as Overall Winner, it has been recognised as the Small Town category winner for achieving Gold in each of the three judging criteria – horticultural excellence, environmental care and community engagement – and was awarded a Judges’ Highlight for its exceptional tree and woodland strategy.
