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Houghton Regis in Bloom, Houghton Regis (2026)

21/08/2026

As we've shared our eight Special Award Showcase posts over recent weeks, we've been overwhelmed by the support, encouragement, comments, likes and shares from our wonderful community.

We're also delighted to have recently passed 400 followers on our Houghton Regis in Bloom page. Thank you to every single person who follows our journey and supports what we do throughout the year.

Whilst our Special Award Showcase series highlighted some of the projects we were proud to of present to our wonderful Anglia in Bloom judges, there were so many other fantastic people, groups and organisations who helped make our judging day such a success.

🌼 A huge thank you to Julie and everyone at the Houghton Regis Memorial Hall, whose beautiful gardens looked absolutely stunning and continue to be a shining example of community pride.

🌳 Thank you to the team at Linmere, who allowed the start of the judging day, to start so well, and continue to demonstrate how new developments can successfully incorporate high-quality green infrastructure, planting and community spaces.

🚜 Thank you to George Browns Ltd for kindly providing the Kubota RTV which helped keep our ambitious judging route running smoothly.

🌷 Thank you to the Friends of Windsor Drive whose passion and commitment continue to improve and protect a much-loved community space.

⛪ Thank you to All Saints - Houghton Regis Parish Church and the Houghton Regis Ladies Group, and everyone involved in maintaining the churchyard, and for creating the beautiful post box topper and supporting the unique Letters to Heaven project.

🐝 Thank you to our dedicated volunteers, beekeepers, Friends groups, community organisations, schools, businesses and residents who contribute so much throughout the year.

🌻 Thank you to our councillors, partners and supporters who champion Houghton Regis and help us turn ideas into reality.

And, of course, a special thank you to the small but incredibly dedicated team back make Houghton Regis Bloom, whose passion, creativity and hard work make everything possible.

Houghton Regis in Bloom has never been about awards alone. It's about bringing people together, creating opportunities, improving our environment and celebrating everything that makes Houghton Regis such a special place to live, work and visit.

Whether you've planted a bulb, litter-picked a street, volunteered at an event, cared for a community garden, supported a project or simply taken pride in our town, you are part of Houghton Regis in Bloom.

Thank you for helping our town bloom. 🌸

💙🩵💚

PS - The floral clock will be back working very soon, we are just waiting for a part and an engineer to pop over and fix it 🤓

17/08/2026

🌸Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Award Showcase 8 of 8🌸

Our nomination for Best Grow Your Own Project was the wonderful and much-loved Kitchen Garden at Houghton Hall Park!

This productive space is the horticultural engine room of Houghton Regis, where plants are nurtured for displays throughout the site and beyond.

The judges learned about the garden's role in supporting sustainable growing, the borehole-fed irrigation system and the dedicated team of volunteers who help maintain this fantastic space throughout the year.

Combining heritage, horticulture and sustainability, the Kitchen Garden demonstrates the important role productive gardens can play in modern parks.

A huge thank you to all the staff and volunteers whose hard work helps keep the garden flourishing.

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15/08/2026

🌸Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Showcase 7 of 8🌸

One of the most innovative projects showcased to the Anglia in Bloom judges was The Never-Ending Dead Hedge, our nomination for Best Gardening for Wildlife and Biodiversity.

Located within the East Woodland of Houghton Hall Park, this living project creates a valuable habitat for insects, birds, small mammals and countless other species.

What makes it even more special is that it has been created almost entirely through corporate volunteering and team-building days, demonstrating how people can work together to create something truly beneficial for nature.

Instead of being discarded, natural materials are given a new purpose, helping increase biodiversity while supporting our wider sustainability goals.

A fantastic example of how simple ideas can make a big difference.

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13/08/2026

🌸Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Showcase 6 of 8🌸

Our nomination for Best Industrial or Commercial Area was Bedford Square Shopping Centre.

This project highlights the power of partnership working between private businesses and the wider community.

The colourful floral displays surrounding the shopping centre create an attractive gateway into the town centre while helping soften and screen service areas behind.

The result is a brighter, greener and more welcoming environment for shoppers, visitors and local residents alike.

It is a fantastic example of how commercial partnership can play an active role in enhancing local environments and contributing to community pride.

Thank you to everyone involved.

🩵💙💚

PS - We have turned off the floral clock whilst we wait for an engineer to pop out and help us. Even a broken clock is right twice a day 😉

11/08/2026

🌸Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Award Showcase 5 of 8🌸

🌼🏡 Growing Community at All Saints View 🏡🌼

Our nomination for Best Sheltered Housing, Care Home or Inclusive Garden was the fantastic garden at Central Bedfordshire Council's All Saints View Independent Living Scheme.

Situated on the first floor, this remarkable space is lovingly maintained by residents who have created a colourful and welcoming terrace garden full of interest throughout the year.

The judges were able to meet residents and see first-hand the passion, dedication and pride that goes into maintaining this special garden.

More than just a beautiful space, it demonstrates how gardening can improve wellbeing, foster friendships and create a strong sense of community.

They are doing such a good job; they have started working on the ground-floor garden as well! And what a great spot to finish our tour of the town with a great lunch put on by our friends at ROAM cafe bistro.

An inspiring project and a credit to everyone involved.

🩵💙💚

Anglia in Bloom

09/08/2026

🌸 Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Award Showcase 4 of 8 🌸

🎨🌈 Colour, Creativity and Community 🌈🎨

We're halfway through our Special Award Showcase series!

Our submission for Best Community Project was Houghton Regis Art Town, a fantastic initiative that demonstrates how creativity can bring people together and transform public spaces.

Over four weeks, their wonderful Art Town Explorers and Champions worked alongside talented local artist Paige Denham to create a vibrant mural celebrating Houghton Regis and the natural world around us.

🌼🌷 Created in partnership with Houghton Regis Town Council as part of this year's Houghton Regis in Bloom campaign, the mural takes inspiration from the surrounding green spaces, floral displays and the Kitchen Garden at Houghton Hall Park🌷🌼

The result is a bright, colourful and welcoming piece of artwork that reflects the creativity, pride and community spirit that exists throughout our town.

✨ We are incredibly proud of this celebration of community, creativity and nature, created by the amazing young people of Houghton Regis Art Town for everyone to enjoy. ✨

The mural was showcased to the Anglia in Bloom judges as part of our Special Award entry and perfectly demonstrates that Bloom is about far more than flowers. It's about creating places people feel proud of, bringing communities together and making our town a brighter place to live.

📍 You'll find this beautiful artwork on the rear of the Village Green Pavilion in Houghton Regis. If you haven't seen it yet, why not take a look?

A huge thank you to everyone involved, especially the young people whose creativity and enthusiasm brought this project to life.

🎨🩵💙💚

07/08/2026

🌸 Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Award Showcase 3 of 8 🌸

As we continue our Special Award Showcase series, we're taking a closer look at our entry for Best Sustainable Garden: Houghton Hall Park's Tiny Forest. Although small in size, Tiny Forests have a huge impact!🌿🌳

Created with the help of local residents and volunteers, this exciting project is helping to increase biodiversity, support pollinators, capture carbon, improve soil health and create valuable educational opportunities for future generations.

Since being planted by the community earlier this year, the Tiny Forest has already established itself really well and is beginning to demonstrate the many environmental benefits these innovative planting schemes can deliver.

Watching it grow has been incredibly rewarding, and it already offers a glimpse of what it will become in years to come.

A wonderful example of sustainability in action right here in the heart of Houghton Regis 🌳💚🐝

Discover our Tiny Forest for Yourself! Have you ever wondered what a Tiny Forest is and how it helps our environment?

Join Earthwatch Europe on Tuesday 11 August, between 2 pm and 6 pm, for a free, family-friendly Tiny Forest Discovery Tour at Houghton Hall Park.

Volunteers Paul, Daniel from GoodGym, and not forgetting the wonderfully friendly Gus the dog, will be stopping in Houghton Regis during their Tiny Tour around the country and would love to share the Tiny Forest story with you.

During the afternoon you can:

🐝 Discover the wildlife that calls the Tiny Forest home
🌳 Learn how trees capture and store carbon
💧 Explore how forests help reduce flooding by storing water
🌡️ Find out how trees help cool our local environment
🔬 Take part in hands-on citizen science activities
🤝 Meet members of the community and connect with nature

📅 Date: Tuesday 11 August 2026
🕑 Time: 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
📍 Location: Houghton Hall Park, Park Road North, Houghton Regis, LU5 5FU

The event is free to attend and open to all ages.

Whether you're curious about nature, looking for a family activity, or simply want to spend some time outdoors, we'd love to see you there!

🔗 Book your free place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1994571282398

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05/08/2026

🌸 Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Award Showcase 2 of 8 🌸

One of our proudest Special Award entries was The Chiltern School, submitted for Best Young People's Project (Under 12s).

Our lovely visit to the Chiltern School demonstrates how environmental education can inspire young people while creating meaningful opportunities to connect with nature.

As an inclusive all-through special school, The Chiltern School provides incredible opportunities for its pupils to learn, grow and thrive through a wide range of outdoor, gardening and environmental projects.

Inspiring the Next Generation! Through gardening, growing, planting, and conservation activities, pupils have helped create spaces that are attractive, educational, and beneficial to wildlife, while developing new skills, confidence, and a sense of pride in their environment.

The judges were able to see first-hand the enthusiasm, commitment and joy shown by both the pupils and the school's dedicated staff team.

Projects like this remind us that the future of Britain in Bloom is in very safe hands.

A huge thank you to everyone at The Chiltern School for helping make Houghton Regis bloom.

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03/08/2026

🌸 Houghton Regis in Bloom Special Award Showcase 1 of 8 🌸

As we count down to the Anglia in Bloom awards on 24 September 2026, we're taking a closer look at what makes Houghton Regis in Bloom so special. What better way than to showcase the eight Special Award entries we submitted during the judges' visit to Houghton Regis, and the special people who make our town blooming brilliant!

Over the coming weeks, as we wait to hear the results, we'll be highlighting the incredible projects, people and partnerships helping our town bloom.

So, what are the Special Awards? These awards recognise outstanding achievements in horticulture, sustainability, community engagement and biodiversity. They celebrate exceptional projects, people and places that make a lasting impact on their communities and local environment.

Each entry must be showcased to the judges during the judging route and supported by photographs. The awards are decided through a judges' review process, where entries from across the Anglia region are considered.

So, in no particular order, let's begin with this year's very special Special Award category:

🌲🦉🍯 A Blooming Tribute to 100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh 🍯🦉🌲

Our entry, "A Blooming Tribute to 100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh: Creating a Mini '100 Aker Wood' in the Heart of Houghton Regis", celebrates the centenary of one of the world's most beloved literary characters.

Inspired by A. A. Milne's timeless stories, this unique project has brought together horticulture, wildlife, creativity and community spirit in Houghton Hall Park.

The project includes six newly planted pine trees, an owl nesting box, a special visit by the magnificent owl ambassador Bracken, Houghton Hall Park honey, a handcrafted Winnie-the-Pooh costume, and the feature bed, which was inspired by Christopher Robin reading the original Winnie-the-Pooh book, with black-and-white characters and not a Tigger in sight, as he didn't appear until the second book🤓

This wasn't simply a celebration of a literary classic. It was a long-term investment in biodiversity, education and community engagement that will continue to grow and evolve for years to come.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring this imaginative project to life!

The English School of Falconry - Herrings Green Activity Farm The Friends of Houghton Hall Park, Sew What have I Found For You?, Houghton Regis Town Council Events Team, Barcham Trees, Wildcare Ecology Supplies UK, and the Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association - Thank you!

🩵💙💚

And before anyone says it, we know the Floral Clock is having a few issues; we are speaking with the supplier to get it back ticking on top form!

Houghton Regis in Bloom

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