The RHS Tatton Park Flower Show is back with a competition for 2023, and we’ve got a fantastic competition to celebrate.
This year the Manchester Evening News has teamed up with RHS to launch a new competition, offering the chance for you to win invitations to the show opening, help transform your ginnel into a vibrant space, and win £1,000.
Individuals and local community groups across the North West have been transforming ginnels from unwelcome, grey spaces into green pockets full of plants, creating stunning spaces which bring communities together, and with considerable success.
READ MORE: The stunning gardens planned at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
At this year’s RHS Flower Show the RHS and the MEN are presenting a Ginnel Garden designed by Manchester’s Cloud gardener and small space gardening expert Jason Williams. We know there are others that would like to do the same, but for various reasons, may struggle.
So today, we are launching a competition to help residents who have a vision of how to transform their shared ginnel into a blooming community hub.
We are inviting residents, whether individuals, a few households together or community groups, to submit a photo or photographs of the space they want to transform, with up to 500 words and/or a two-minute film on what their plans are for their ginnel, why they believe they should win, and how they plan to maintain it.
Jason Williams, 36, said: “For me, I’m a champion for the community growing RHS campaign - the Big Seed Sow, which is about bringing communities together.
"The ginnel garden is an extension of that, and it’s about bringing people together. There are completely different stories behind people’s gardening, which brings that sense of community - who may not have much of a garden and provide a safe space for people.
“I hope that I can give the winner the tools to create the garden and to keep it going throughout the year. We will be on hand to help with the technical side of things, I think it is really beneficial to anybody who applies.”
All of your ideas on how you want to transform your ginnel are welcome. We can give the winner the tools to create the garden, whether they propose to transform a space for a community struggling with the cost of living, or whether you want to pay tribute to a local hero or community champion.
Perhaps your neighbourhood could benefit from an activity for people to get into which would give them confidence and pride, or maybe you have already tried to build a ginnel garden in the past, and it hasn't worked out.
The winners would receive an invitation to attend the opening day of RHS Flower Show Tatton Park on 19 July, a design consultation with Jason Williams, a former exhibitor at RHS Tatton Park and RHS Chelsea Flower Show, who will share his expert tips and ideas on how they can transform their ginnel, plus £1,000 in vouchers to spend on plants and materials needed to bring the vision to life.
Entrants will be judged by Jason Williams, the RHS's Tatton Show manager Lex Falleyn and Sarah Lester, the Editor of the MEN. They will also be visited regularly as the ginnel progresses and residents take pride in the upkeep of their garden.
Helena Pettit, Director of Gardens and Shows said: “We are really thrilled to be partnering with Manchester Evening News on this exciting community gardening competition. “Plants and gardens enrich lives and bring people together. We are delighted that individuals and community groups across the North West have come together and created fantastic ginnel gardens, transforming these often unwelcome, grey spaces into green pockets full of plants.
“There are still hundreds of ginnels that remain unloved and through this competition and the Ginnel Garden at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park hope to inspire more people to bring their ginnels to life through the power of plants and flowers.
“We really look forward to hearing from individuals, community groups or households from across the region on how they plan to transform their ginnel into a green sanctuary.”
To enter, simply contact the email below with your full name, a photograph of the space you want to transform, and up to 500 words/and or a two-minute film on the plans for the ginnel, why you believe you should win, and how you plan to maintain it.
The competition closes midday on 23 June 2023, and winners will be notified after the closing date.
Contact us for a chance to win: mencomps@trinitymirror.com
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