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Britain Set to be a Riot of Beautiful Blooms in 2024

Community gardeners to grow and share millions of flowers of friendship as RHS Britain in Bloom celebrates 60 years of community gardening.

This year marks 60 years of RHS Britain in Bloom, the UK’s largest community gardening campaign, and to celebrate the RHS will be sharing ‘friendship flower seeds’ to highlight the enduring friendships made through caring for plants, community and a love of gardening. 
 
Over 2 million flowers, including sweet peas, cosmos, nigella, gypsophila, rudbeckia and zinnia will be sown, planted and grown by the 3,000 community gardening groups that make up RHS Britain in Bloom and its grass roots version It’s Your Neighbourhood. The array of fabulous purple, orange, blue and pink hued flowers will be on display in public greens spaces and then given in an act of friendship to people and communities all over the UK.
 
“The 60th anniversary is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate community gardening,” says Kay Clark, RHS Community Development Manager. “Gardening brings people together and enriches lives. Social connections are fundamental to good health and wellbeing, and for the Britain in Bloom 60th anniversary, we’ll be celebrating the friendships and social benefits forged through plants and gardening.”  
 
As part of its anniversary celebrations the RHS is gathering and sharing stories of friendships formed through gardening, to encourage people across the UK to join in and experience the many wellbeing benefits of gardening in a community setting.


Britain set to be a Riot of Beautiful Blooms in 2024/2
 
Kay added: “We’re providing the seeds as a ‘thank you’ to all our existing groups and the hundreds of thousands of passionate volunteers who work with plants year-round to strengthen their communities and improve the local environment.  We are encouraging people to grow some of these flowers for wildlife, and share some as bouquets with friends and other people who deserve them in their communities. We hope these gestures of friendship will inspire even more people to get growing too.”
 
Over six decades, millions of people have participated in Britain in Bloom, enabling them to get to know their neighbours, make new friends and forge stronger community networks. Groups vary from urban communities to rural villages, and from people who look after a tiny patch of land to those in charge of a whole town.
 
Their activities positively impact millions more people, who benefit from the cared-for communal green spaces, brightened high streets, and more cohesive communities.  Bloom groups embrace sustainable gardening practices and engage and support younger members of the community to get involved in gardening. 
 
People often join community gardening groups at a time of change in their lives and many make new life-long relationships through their connection with plants and gardening.
To help celebrate this special anniversary and the flourishing friendships forged through community gardening the RHS is asking community gardeners to share their stories of friendship and how being a part of a community gardening group has connected them to other people.    
 
RHS Britain in Bloom covers the four nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ulster, as well as the Channel Islands, and is managed by the RHS in partnership with 17 Bloom Regions and Nations.
 
If you are inspired to get involved in community gardening in your area find out more at www.rhs.org.uk/community
 
If you’d like to share your friendship stories with us visit www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/britain-in-bloom or tag #RHSBloom60 on social media.
 
ENDS 

Notes to editors

For further information, images or interviews, contact Liz Woznicki, [email protected] or the RHS Press Office at [email protected] / 0207 821 3080.
 
About RHS Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom started in the 1960’s in the height of the ‘flower power’ era when Tourism Boards and Councils across the UK competed to attract visitors. Over the years the campaign has evolved to the present day when most groups are motivated to strengthen their communities; protect and enhance the environment and support people’s health and wellbeing. There are still beautiful flowers to inspire – but also purposeful planting, sharing skills and positive impacts for both people and the environment.
 
RHS Britain in Bloom with its grassroots version It’s Your Neighbourhood is the UK’s largest community gardening campaign – involving 3,000 groups and hundreds of thousands of volunteers each year. It positively impacts millions more people who benefit from the cared-for green spaces, brightened high streets and more cohesive communities.
 
Managed by the RHS in partnership with 17 regions and nations – covers England, Scotland, Wales and Ulster and Channel Islands. It includes both urban and rural communities.
 
About the RHS
Since our formation in 1804, the RHS has grown into the UK’s leading gardening charity, touching the lives of millions of people. Perhaps the secret to our longevity is that we’ve never stood still. In the last decade alone we’ve taken on the largest hands-on project the RHS has ever tackled by opening the new RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford, Greater Manchester, and invested in the science that underpins all our work by building RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science.
 
We have committed to being net positive for nature and people by 2030. We are also committed to being truly inclusive and to reflect all the communities of the UK.
 
Across our five RHS gardens we welcome more than three million visitors each year to enjoy over 34,000 different cultivated plants. Events such as the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, other national shows, our schools and community work, and partnerships such as Britain in Bloom, all spread the shared joy of gardening to wide-reaching audiences.

Throughout it all we’ve held true to our charitable core – to encourage and improve the science, art and practice of horticulture –to share the love of gardening and the positive benefits it brings.

For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk.

RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.