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.

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.