Woburn Sands Gardening Competition 2023

FIRST prize to 75 Elm Grove

 A well-tended garden full of evergreen shrubs providing spacious cover for birds with a lower layer of insect-attracting flowers such as Cosmos, Salvia, Achillea, Geraniums and Begonias and over-arched with a large cherry tree at the front. Plenty of hoverflies and bees.

SECOND prize to 59 Drayhorse Crescent

 Two very different gardens but both had excellent features for attracting wildlife.

 A small, rectangular front garden packed with over 20 containers set out on gravel and exhibiting a wide range of plants of different heights (effectively graded front to back) and colours, many with open flowers attractive to insects e.g. Mallow, Senecio, Petunia, Fuchsia, Verbena, Geranium, Nemesia, Lobelia and Erigeron: an imaginative way to achieve flexible and diverse planting in a very small space.

THIRD prize to 11 Elm Grove

Trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals, plus honeysuckle climbing up two small pergolas, all providing food and shelter for birds and insects, together with a small water bath. Plenty of insects about including bees, red admiral and small white butterfly and a silver Y moth. 

FIRST prize to 8 The Leys 

A long, thin back garden that fulfilled the brief 100% to provide a rich home for birds and bees and other insects, as well as a variety of interesting things to discover for the human visitor. A cleverly winding path both gave access to, and provided diverse attractions along the entire length of the garden.

For the birds there were bird feeders, water, hangers containing nesting material and trees providing berries such as Rowan. For bees there were plenty of flowers providing nectar such as lavender and herbs...thyme, oregano and rosemary. Honeysuckle and Abelia provided scent and nectar for night flying moths.

There was also a meadow and wildflower area (including yellow rattle to help moderate grass growth) and a vegetated pond/wet area (good for newts). Various kinds of bees, hoverflies and butterflies were enjoying the garden including a meadow brown, gatekeeper, small white and green veined white butterfly. There were also several native trees including a silver birch, maple, ash and Scots pine and plenty of undergrowth, providing a good mixture of light and shade. A large bug hotel and a log pile encouraged invertebrates and hedges provided lots of habitats. A fine example of well-managed and ecologically productive 'wilding'.

SECOND prize to 67 Elm Grove

A delightful back garden that backs onto a small lake and encourages visits from badgers, foxes, squirrels, wild birds and insects. Plenty of bird food is provided from feeders and also berries from a rowan tree and pyracantha shrub. A small stream and bowl provides water and the flowers, including a Jasmine, Achillea, Buddleia, Phlox and a wildflower border containing Corn cockle, Borage and a white umbellifer, encourage insects.

THIRD prize to 38 Wood Street 

 This back garden is maintained organically and has plenty of simple flowers such as Oxeye daisies, Salvias, Cosmos, Sweet peas and Honeysuckle to attract insects. There was a bug hotel, hedgehog house, crab apple and apple tree. Several ladybirds, bees, butterflies and even a common darter dragonfly were seen.

The Garden Competition Judges 

 28 (!) containers and baskets all filled with a wide variety of well-maintained, brightly coloured flowers including single, open flowers such as Geraniums, Petunias, Nemesias, Verbenas, Gazanias, Dahlias, Osteospermums and Antirrhinums. Bees, plentiful hoverflies and small white butterfly were all present. An amazing display. 

SECOND prize to 1 Tavistock Close

Richly stocked baskets and containers containing Petunias, Fuchsias, Geraniums, Bacopa and Impatiens all attracting various insects.

THIRD prize to 38 Wood Street

Baskets containing Petunias, Geraniums and Fuchsias, for example attracting the attention of a gatekeeper butterfly.