Volunteers celebrate after Market Harborough and Lubenham win gold in East Midlands in Bloom competition
Volunteers, a homeowner and a school in Harborough are all celebrating after being awarded at 2026’s East Midlands in Bloom ceremony this week.
Market Harborough scooped a gold award for its fifth year running - with the town commended for its recent work on the Rose Garden in Welland Park.
There are 35 regular volunteers who worked around 5,000 hours on the project in 2025.
The team in Market Harborough also marked its 30th anniversary of brightening up the area this year.
Project manager Peter Eddie was given the judge’s award for his huge contribution to Market Harborough in Bloom’s success.
The judges, Liz Alun-Jones and Caroline Lomas, said: “His many roles include quietly organising the team, making planters at the station and producing the portfolio.”
The railway station was also mentioned for its “delightful uniformity in the cheerful railing planters and a dry corner successfully planted with sedum and dianthus”.
Judges went to Union Wharf and admired the planters filled with colourful annuals, with the pots painted with 'Roses and Castles' motifs surrounding a lock gate sundial.
East Midlands in Bloom said: “Everything the judges saw was healthy, vibrant, well-tended and grown to peak perfection.”
The team were also crowned the winners of the ‘large town' category.
On behalf of the volunteers, David Helsby said: “Market Harborough in Bloom Volunteers are delighted to announce that once again, they have won the Gold Award and have been crowned Winners of the East Midlands In Bloom Large Town Category.”
Cllr Buddy Anderson, chairman of Harborough District Council, said: "Huge congratulations to Harborough in Bloom for securing their fifth consecutive victory in the East Midlands in Bloom competition. Having met the volunteers during the judges' visit to Market Harborough, I saw first hand the incredible time and energy they dedicate to colouring our town.
"Their vibrant displays and planters truly transform our community, and I offer them my warmest congratulations on this well-deserved achievement."
Stephen Damon received full marks for his front garden display - and won the Frank Constable MBE Award.
The garden, in Rutland Walk, was described as “unique and highly original”.
The judges said: “The level of maintenance was exceptional. All plants were healthy, dead-headed and well grown. There was not a single weed in the beds or the path.”
Ridgeway Primary Academy took home the silver award and judge’s discretionary award for its school garden.
School judge, Joyce Slater, told the academy: “For your small but intensively used main growing area that is run on a shoestring and creates so many growing and learning opportunities from seed sowing to tree growing.
“It has to work so hard, and you do so much in it.”
The school’s gardening club was also commended for letting students decide what they plant and equipping them with the relevant skills needed for success in growing.
Ridgeway Academy has an eco hub outdoor classroom used by the whole school.
Joyce explained: “You have a very mature sensory garden which is well used by classes for art, stories and other activities.
“I was heartened to hear how it was being used for pupil wellbeing and ‘brain breaks’.
Over in Lubenham, the village was also given a gold award.
The ‘beautiful and historical’ village was visited by judges Mary Bagley and Judith Warner, who commented on the rich horticultural displays and community-run spaces.
Margaret Richards won the judge’s award for “her outstanding leadership of Lubenham in Bloom”.
During their tour, the judges said: “What a wonderful achievement to ensure there are horticultural gems to see around the village at every time of the year.”
They noted that not one piece of litter or dog mess was seen while in Lubenham.
The volunteers said: “At an award ceremony, Lubenham in Bloom won gold and, for the third year in a row, are winners of the Village Category, thanks to everyone in our lovely village.”