Dobbies is inviting Brits across the country to cast their vote and help the UK’s leading garden centre crown its Helping Your Community Grow winners.

Seventy-five groups across the country have the chance to create or refresh a community space with Dobbies’ support, and the garden centre is now asking the nation to help narrow its shortlist down, to one winner per store.

This year’s initiative has welcomed nominations from schools looking to enhance their gardens; charities supporting the most vulnerable members of the community proposing sensory gardens; and community groups and clubs looking to create a garden space where they can grow their own fruit and vegetables.

There was a notable increase in the number of entries from groups looking to grow their own this year. This follows research from Dobbies and Censuswide (commissioned in March) that found 73% of Brits plan to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs this spring. Tomatoes are set to be the most popular crop for this year, closely followed by potatoes, strawberries, carrots, fresh mint, lettuce and apples. 

Dobbies hopes a whole host of different projects will benefit from this community initiative, and winning groups will receive advice, gardening products and plants from their local Dobbies’ horticultural team. Dobbies’ own-brand peat-free multipurpose compost, recycled and recyclable containers, UK-sourced plants and safer pest control products are among the many products the garden centre will donate.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies said: "We’re overwhelmed with the response to our Helping Your Community Grow initiative and have seen a significant increase in nominations, with over 800 applications for 2023.

“Spring is a great time in the horticulture calendar and we’re looking forward to helping projects across the UK enhance their surroundings in a sustainable way.

“We hope that groups across the country benefit from our community campaign and can experience the benefits that gardening and outdoor spaces can bring. Our local communities are important and the teams are really looking forward to helping this year's projects.”

As well as there being one winner per store, there will also a national winner – this will be the project that receives the most votes. They will receive additional funding and support. Votes are open until Tuesday 25 April: Helping Your Community Grow | Dobbies Garden Centres

One vote per person: full T&Cs can be viewed on the website.