Top of the Plots
GARDENA’s Top of the Plots: A Celebration of Growing Greatness
Are you growing prize-worthy potatoes? Proud of your perfect peas? Or perhaps your raised bed is a haven for pollinators? Well, it’s time to put your green fingers to the test with GARDENA's Top of the Plots competition—a chance to showcase your gardening skills and win some incredible prizes!
At GARDENA, we’re on the search to celebrate the nation’s best gardeners and the thriving culture of home-growing across the UK. Whether you’re an allotment grower, a balcony gardener, or raised bed enthusiast - we are looking for the best plots in the land, encouraging gardeners of all levels and spaces to show us their outdoor spaces.
GARDENA Brand Ambassador, Sunday Times best-selling author and grow you own expert, Huw Richards will be on hand to not only help inspire, educate and encourage growers throughout the campaign, he, alongside the National Allotment Society will make up the judging panel, and visit finalists of the competition.
Get involved for your chance to win…
Top of the Plots isn’t just about recognition—it’s about celebrating your passion for growing! With a grand prize of £1,000 worth of GARDENA products, RHS vouchers, and exclusive Top of the Plots merchandise for the first 100 entrants, the rewards are as bountiful as your harvest.
Categories to Compete In:
From seasoned green thumbs to growing beginners, there’s a category for every gardener. The main categories include:
- Best Allotment: The top pick from official allotment spaces.
- Best Garden Plot: For the finest backyard or home garden.
- Best New Plot: For plots started within the past 12 months, judged on their seasonal progress.
Additional categories celebrate the diversity of the UK’s garden spaces, including:
- Kids on the Plot: Featuring future gardeners.
- Best Small Plot: Perfect for those with limited space, such as windowsill or balcony gardens.
- Biodiversity on the Plot: Celebrating biodiversity and wildlife-friendly gardening.
- Best Community Plot: Recognising gardens that bring communities together
Key areas will be explored when judging allotment and garden centre categories.
- Diversity: A garden area that is considered to have a vast variety of plants and produce.
- Quality: A garden area that is considered to have high-quality plants and produce.
- Resilience: A garden area that is considered to be resilient to weather and other external factors.
- Sustainability: A garden area where the owner uses sustainable gardening practices.
- Appearance: A garden area that is considered visually appealing and shows the beauty of gardening.
- Biodiversity: A garden area that has created habitats for wildlife to encourage biodiversity
Be Inspired
The competition is all about community, creativity, and growing greatness. Huw Richards believes this competition is more than just a quest for the best plot. "It’s about inspiring more people to take up growing, no matter where they are or how much space they have," he says. “Everyone can be a grower.”
How to Enter
From 19 May 2025, green-fingered enthusiasts can submit photos and descriptions of their gardens or allotments via email, choosing from the competition’s categories. The judging will focus on plant variety, resilience, sustainability, and overall maintenance—whether your garden is inner city patch or a fully-fledged allotment.
The Judging Process
The competition will run through to August 2025, with finalists announced in early September. In the final stages, Huw Richards will visit the top contenders to see the plots in person before the champions are announced in late September.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than eating something you’ve grown yourself,” says Huw. “Top of the Plots will celebrate that dedication and the joy of transforming a patch of soil into a thriving garden."
Join the Movement
At GARDENA, we believe in the power of home-growing—not just for food, but for mental well-being, education, and building community connections. This competition is GARDENA’s way of celebrating all the incredible efforts of UK gardeners, whether you're new to growing or a seasoned pro.
So, get ready to show us what you’ve grown! Enter Top of the Plots on the 19th of May (further details to follow) and be part of a nationwide celebration of gardening greatness. Whether you’ve got a vegetable garden, a floral haven, or a tiny patch of greenery, there’s a place for you in this exciting competition.
For more information, view our full list of frequently asked questions here.
It’s time to grow with GARDENA.
