Inside Judging Day: What Happened When RHS Judges Toured Northampton for East Midlands in Bloom

Image credit: Stu Vincent Photography/ NTC

Back in June I told you all about the hundreds of hanging baskets going up around Northampton ahead of this year’s East Midlands in Bloom entry — well, the big day has now been and gone. RHS judges spent Wednesday touring the town centre and a string of community projects, and it sounds like it was a proper showcase of just how much local effort goes into it. If you’re curious what actually happens on a judging day (and who was behind the scenes making it all happen), here’s the full rundown.

Northampton blooms as RHS judges visit for East Midlands in Bloom competition

Northampton has showcased the dedication of its volunteers, community groups, businesses and partners after Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) judges visited the town on Wednesday 8th July to assess this year’s East Midlands in Bloom entry.

Following last year’s prestigious Silver Gilt Award, Northampton Town Council entered the competition for a second consecutive year, competing against towns and cities from across the region in one of Europe’s largest horticultural campaigns.

The visit marked the culmination of months of preparation, with colourful floral displays, sustainable planting schemes and community-led environmental projects brought together under this year’s theme, Year of the Woman Farmer, celebrating the contribution of women to growing, farming, horticulture and community gardening.

Cllr Andrew Kilbride, Chair of the Environmental Services Committee at Northampton Town Council, said:

“East Midlands in Bloom is about much more than flowers. It’s about creating greener spaces, supporting biodiversity and bringing communities together to take pride in where they live.

“Our entry for 2026 reflects the fantastic work of our volunteers, community groups, businesses and partners, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for helping showcase the very best of Northampton.”

Supported by Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), whose funding helped provide additional planters across the expanded BID area, judges began their tour in the town centre, viewing floral displays, hanging baskets and sustainable planting before visiting All Saints’ Memorial Garden, Market Square, Abington Street and Fish Street.

The route continued to a range of community-led projects, including St Giles’ Community, Friends of St Peter’s Church, Friends of Castle Park, Friends of Dallington Park and C2C Grows Allotment.

Jean Hawkins, Chair of the Friends of St Peter’s Church Marefair, said:

“We’ve loved being part of East Midlands in Bloom. It has given us a real boost and inspired us to make the church garden even more colourful and welcoming for everyone passing by. The organisers have been so encouraging, and it has been wonderful to see the whole town come alive with flowers.

“Being part of the Bloom community has helped us feel connected again, and we’re ‘blooming’ happy…and a little bit proud to be part of something that brings so much pleasure to so many people.”

Judges also visited The Wheatsheaf Pub, Dallington — a business entry showcasing its floral displays, before finishing at Bradlaugh Fields, where West Northamptonshire Council Park Rangers and the Friends of Bradlaugh Fields & Barn highlighted their outdoor classroom, community orchard and recently restored wildlife pond.

The judges also met representatives from community groups, including Bees Be Happy, whose locally grown plants added a homegrown touch to this year’s displays. Members of the Northamptonshire Women’s Institute showcased their creative yarn bombing, inspired by the Year of the Woman Farmer theme, with colourful knitted decorations adorning lamp posts and pillars throughout the town centre. Stealing the spotlight were three charming woollen sheep, created in Northampton’s sporting colours, which proved a particular highlight of the display.

Chris Carr, Chair of the Northamptonshire Women’s Institute, said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of such a fantastic community, and the East Midlands in Bloom competition is a wonderful way to bring people together with a shared purpose.

“It has been especially encouraging to see Women’s Institute groups from across Northamptonshire come together to support the yarn bombing project. A huge thank you to everyone who knitted, crocheted or sewed one of the wonderful creations. The enthusiasm and willingness to get involved has been incredible, and no task was ever too much.”

Entries were judged on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation, with judges assessing not only the quality of planting and public spaces, but also sustainability, partnership working and the positive impact these projects have on local communities.

This year’s entry was made possible through the collaboration of Northampton Town Council, Northampton Town Centre BID, West Northamptonshire Council, Idverde, Veolia, local businesses, community groups and dedicated volunteers, whose collective efforts have helped make Northampton greener, more welcoming and full of colour. Special thanks go to Idverde and Veolia, whose year-round work to maintain and enhance the town’s green spaces and streets, together with their support in preparing for this year’s judging, has ensured Northampton is looking its very best for residents, visitors and the East Midlands in Bloom judges.

The results of this year’s competition will be announced at an awards ceremony later in the year.

For more information, visit: northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/northampton-in-bloom or email: bloom@northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk

What strikes me most reading through all this is just how many different people it takes to pull a day like this together — allotment groups, a pub garden, the Women’s Institute knitting an entire flock of sheep, park rangers, volunteers at three different “Friends of” groups. It’s a proper community effort, and it’s a nice one to keep an eye on: the results are announced later in the year, so watch this space. If you missed the run-up to judging day, you can catch that here: Northampton in Bloom: Our Town Centre is Bursting with Colour This Summer.

If your little ones enjoy spotting flowers, bugs and colour on a walk, it’s well worth combining a town centre wander with my free Nature Scavenger Hunt — turns a stroll around Abington Street into a proper mission. And if you want to keep up with everything else happening for families across Northamptonshire this summer, my