Dobbies search for best amateur gardener in Milton Keynes to win £1,000 prize

Dobbies in Milton Keynes is on the hunt for the best novice gardener to win a £1000 gift token.

Amateur gardeners of all ages and backgrounds are invited to enter its annual Not Your Average Gardener Awards.

With four new categories, judges will be looking for a variety of gardeners of all abilities from across Milton Keynes to put themselves, or a friend or family member, forward.

Dobbies’ Senior Houseplant Buyer and recently appointed Royal Horticultural Society Chair of Assessors, Claire Bishop, will join Dobbies’ Horticultural Director and seasoned judge, Marcus Eyles, to crown the new Creative Indoor Gardener and Little Eco Gardener categories.

Claire said: “It’s a real honour to be part of the Not Your Average Gardener Awards for its fourth year and I can’t wait to see the talent from our houseplant enthusiasts in Milton Keynes.

“The awards have been designed with full inclusivity in mind, so we’re looking for people of all ages and skill levels to get in touch and tell us about their vibrant green space that they have a real passion for.”

RePollinate, a Scottish-based charity that conserves and enhances the UK’s threatened pollinators through education, scientific research and the creation of pollinator friendly habitats, will judge the Wildlife Friendly Garden category.

Leigh Biagi, Project Coordinator at RePollinate, is thrilled to be partnering with Dobbies on the judging panel. She said: “We are so delighted to be asked to judge the Wildlife Friendly Gardener category of the awards. At RePollinate we are passionate about doing all we can to support nature in our green spaces, no matter how big or small that space may be, and we know that this passion is shared by many gardeners. It will be exciting to see the entries and discover what people are doing to support sustainability and welcome nature into their gardens."

Social media gardening expert, Michael Griffiths, aka The Mediterranean Gardener, joins the panel to judge the Plant to Plate Gardener category.

There’s a prize pot of £4,000 to help successful applicants take their award-winning garden to the next level, each taking home a £1,000 giftcard to spend in Dobbies’ store.

Entries close on Friday 30 June and winners will be announced in early August.