B&Q’s Gardener Of The Year Competition Is Back

• B&Q’s Gardener of the Year competition 2023 is on a mission to find gardens that show heart, soul and a passion for the outdoors, whatever the size or budget, whilst bringing to life this year’s theme: The Great British Garden Party
  
  
• Celebrity maître d’ and gardening enthusiast Fred Sirieix joins the 2023 judging panel, alongside B&Q Outdoor Director Steve Guy and award-winning garden designers Matt Childs and Humaira Ikram

• The winner will receive a £10,000 cash prize and B&Q’s coveted Golden Trowel award. Three runners up will be awarded £1,000 in cash, and the Community Garden of the Year will receive a £2,500 B&Q gift card

• The new 2023 categories are: Best nature loving garden, Best foodie garden, Best versatile garden and Best show-stopping garden

• To enter, visit diy.com/gardener-of-the-year and submit entries by midday 23rd June 2023

Today, B&Q’s Gardener of the Year competition returns for a third year running, offering entrants the chance to win an impressive £10,000 prize. This year’s competition includes four new categories, as well as a fresh guest judge, celebrity maître d’ and TV personality Fred Sirieix, joining the judging panel, alongside our three returning judges and gardening experts, to find the UK’s best amateur garden, no matter the size or budget.

As Britain prepares to celebrate the Coronation, B&Q’s Gardener of the Year 2023 competition is seeking out gardens, balconies, and allotments that bring to life its 2023 theme; The Great British Garden Party. Showcasing the best of the nation’s outdoor spaces, the annual event has become a key moment in the gardening calendar, highlighting gardens as a sacred space where the value of the experience is not dependent on the cost of its creation. From the creative to the unexpected, the crafty to the eco-conscious, the outdoor spaces will show passion, a love for nature, and how a little can go a long way, to create a space where connections and memories can be made with friends and family.

L-R Matthew Childs, Fred Sireix, SteveGuy, Humaira Ikram (Getty / GarethCattermole for B&Q)

This year’s competition sees Fred swapping out his tux for a trowel as he joins the judging panel for B&Q’s Gardener of the Year 2023. Outside of being a TV personality, Fred is also an enthusiastic gardener himself, spending lots of time tending to his own garden and viewing it as a highly therapeutic hobby.

Fred Sirieix will be joined by returning judges and gardening experts Matt Childs and Humaira Ikram, as well as B&Q Outdoor Director, Steve Guy. Matt has been responsible for designing multiple medal-winning show gardens at both the RHS Chelsea and RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Shows. With over 10 years of experience as a professional garden designer, Humaira is a Gardens Advisor to RHS Hyde Hall, a regular contributor on BBC Gardeners Question Time and has judged many show gardens, including at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Steve has over 35 years’ experience in the gardening sector and his passion for horticulture and role as B&Q’s Outdoor Category Director, makes him a true gardening expert.

Once crowned, this year’s winner will receive a £10,000 cash prize, a £2,500 B&Q gift card, in addition to B&Q’s highly coveted Golden Trowel award. The three runners up will also be awarded £1,000 each in honour of their horticultural passion and expertise.

All four 2023 Great British Garden Party categories celebrate and recognise the best gardens and outdoor spaces that fill our lives with creativity, colour, and joy. Gardeners will be encouraged to follow sustainable practices and allow nature to thrive across all categories, whilst also demonstrating how ingenuity outranks investment and the best gardens don’t have to cost the world. 

Perhaps your outdoor space is the Best nature loving garden, always looking to invite wildlife to the party and help protect biodiversity whether through bee hotels or nectar-rich flowers. This year’s Best foodie garden shows the way to the nation’s heart is through its stomach. From sustainable vegetable patches to outdoor kitchens and alfresco dining, it wouldn’t be a Great British Garden Party without food! Or perhaps your space is the Best versatile garden, one where the space is maximised so it can be used for a diverse range of activities from sipping tea to playing croquet? Or finally, do you pride yourself in having the Best show-stopping garden, a garden that stands out from the crowd whether that be a meticulous hedge design or invoking the feeling you’ve stepped into the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

No matter what the size of your space or the style of your gardening, there is a category for you in this year’s B&Q Gardener of the Year. For some competition inspiration, from buddleias to BBQ’s, tomato plants to trowels, check out B&Q’s extensive plant and outdoor range which offers great value for money and better quality for less at B&Q.
  
Fred Sirieix, judge of B&Q Gardener of the year, says; “I am thrilled to be involved in this year’s B&Q Gardener of the Year competition, judging all the great British gardens, and stealing some tips for myself! We all enjoy our outdoor spaces for different reasons – for me it’s not about the money invested, or whether it’s big or small, it’s all about relishing the time spent creating your garden and letting your creativity flow. It's one of those hobbies that provides people so much pleasure without having to spend a lot on it. That’s why to be B&Q’s Gardener of the Year, you could be new to gardening or a green-fingered pro, you could have small window boxes, balconies, small patches, or larger green spaces. As long as you love gardening and are inspired by nature then this is the competition to enter.” 

Steve Guy, B&Q Outdoor Category Director, says: “Judging B&Q’s Gardener of Year is always one of my favourite calendar moments, and 2023 is no exception! The creativity and attention to detail of the entrants each year never ceases to amaze me, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store this time around.

“With previous champions including the likes of a small courtyard transformation and a sustainable garden incorporating a range of recycled elements, it goes without saying that this year’s winning garden doesn’t have to be the most extravagant, or the one with the grandest design, but one that shows heart, soul and a true passion for gardening, no matter the size or spend. As the UK’s largest garden centre, B&Q offers great value for money across all our outdoor and gardening products, including our extensive range of 3,000 plants. Whatever your outdoor project, we’ll give you great quality for less.”

The Community Garden of the Year award is also back for a third year in 2023. With a £2,500 B&Q gift up for grabs, the award celebrates an outdoor space which has been created by the community with the aim of improving the life and wellbeing of those in the surrounding area.

The B&Q Gardener of the year competition is open now and will close at 12:00 noon on Friday 23rd June 2023. Anyone over 18 years can enter via diy.com/gardener-of-the-year.

Source : B&Q

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