WIREDGOV

Staff across London's transport network have transformed parts of stations and depots into colourful gardens of flowers, fruits, vegetables and air-purifying plants for TfL's annual 'In Bloom' competition.

• Stations and depots across the Underground network were competing for this year's TfL 25th anniversary inspired "Best Theme Award", which was won by Highbury & Islington station for working with local children to depict elements of TfL's history in the garden
• TfL saw more than 50 entries in 12 different categories with the winning entries receiving a trophy and certificate   

Transport for London (TfL) has announced the winners of its hotly contested staff gardening competition 'In Bloom'. The annual competition recognises the variety of gardens that flourish on London's transport network, with a new category this year inspired by TfL's 25th anniversary.

With awards in a range of categories - from hanging baskets to fruit and vegetable awards - the 'In Bloom' competition inspires hundreds of TfL gardeners from across the network to work together to create greenspaces across the city.

This year's headline winners include Highbury & Islington station who clinched the 'Best Theme Award' which marks TfL's 25th anniversary. South Tottenham station not only won this year's 'Best Cultivated Garden' award, but also snagged the top prize, the Dennis Sanger 'Best in Show Award'. Judges described the winning station as a "riot of colour", and a place that is about both the plants and the community - where local residents are involved in its creation, and where newer elements are being added to the garden specifically to cater to the community.

As well as marking TfL's 25th anniversary this year, environmental sustainability was placed at the heart of the panel's decision-making, as London's transport network works towards sourcing 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. Goodge Street station won the 'Environment Award', with judges impressed with the reuse of materials, recycled planters, grown from seed, and the use of solar power.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said:

"TfL's 'In Bloom' gardening competition brightens up green spaces at stations and transport hubs across our network, brightening up people's journeys. Once again, I have been impressed and inspired by this year's fantastic entries submitted by more than 50 TfL staff, including gardens of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and air-purifying plants. The Mayor and I would like to congratulate all the winners of this year's competition as we continue building a better, greener London for everyone."

Emma Strain, TfL's Customer Director, said:

"Congratulations to all the winners of this year's 'In Bloom' competition, creating vibrant green spaces across the network, and big thank you to the many locations that have taken part. These not only brighten up local communities and customers' journeys every day, but they also help to tackle climate change. The standard of the entries this year was magnificent, and we'd like to thank everyone involved for their efforts."

Winners in the other categories are as follows:   

• Ruislip Depot won the 'John Knight Award for Best Tubs, Hanging Baskets and Window Boxes'. When looking at the winning entry, the judges were impressed by the quality of the hanging baskets and tubs, and how they created a sense of community in an otherwise inhospitable environment.
• Morden Underground station secured the 'Fruits and Vegetables Award' and impressed the judges with the sheer variety and quality of what was on offer at the location - including plants that one wouldn't expect to see growing in London, like pineapples.
• Staff at Upminster Train Crew Accommodation were triumphant in the 'Cultivated Gardens' (depot) category. The judges were impressed by the way the garden is a place for health, wellbeing, and community, with space for families and friends to remember colleagues. 
• London Underground office Abrams House in High Barnet came first in the 'Indoor Gardens' category. The use of space, and the fact that the plants were donated and rescued, impressed the panel. They also liked the large TfL 25 roundel created by participants.
• Robert Bullmore clinched the 'Art in Bloom Award' for his depiction of Acton Town station, created with a photocollage of Acton Town's gardens and the surrounding station.
• Tower Millenium Pier secured the 'Best Newcomer Award'. This year's winner is in a place where you wouldn't think a garden would be able to thrive, but the judges were astonished by what was able to grow in an area that's windy and exposed on one side and facing long queues on the other side. They commented: "amazing," "stunning," and "everything about it was pitch perfect." 
• Upminster Depot bagged the 'Best Seasoned Entry' with the judges impressed by the way the garden represents knowledge sharing among generations, as families and colleagues pass their knowledge to others to create a welcoming spot in what is otherwise a very concrete and harsh environment.
• The 'Sandra Wilkes Community Award' of which there were three winners. The first, Stratford Market Depot is a location where the community partnership comes from within the location, with the number of people involved in taking care of the garden tripling over the past year.  The second award went to Hammersmith Grove Service Control Centre, for a garden that has involved participants in TfL's 'Steps into Work' programme. The final winner is Norwood Junction station, who worked to revive a garden that has lain dormant, and enlisted community members to transform it into a peaceful space for mental health, where both customers and colleagues can spend time to get some peace outside of the hustle and bustle of trains.

Earlier this year, TfL expanded its wildflower verges by the size of around 18 football pitches - 130,000m2 - a 50 per cent increase in the last financial year. This takes the total amount of rewilded space to 390,000m2 - the equivalent of around 52 football pitches. TfL is now well over halfway to reaching the goal set back in 2024 of doubling the total area to 520,000m2 of wildflower verges along its road network by 2026.

Notes to Editors

• The 'In Bloom' competition was first started in 1910 by the District Railway. TfL and its enthusiastic staff, often working with local residents and businesses have kept this century-old tradition alive. This year entries from across the city - from Hammersmith to Upminster   
• The 'Best in Show' award is named after Dennis Sanger, who to many people, was synonymous with the Northern line. He spent years on the line, finally serving as a Group Station Manager on the High Barnet Branch before he passed away
• The award for 'Best Community Partnership' is named after Sandra Wilkes, a keen gardener who was a regular participant in this competition. She was a Trains Operative Manager Assistant at Rickmansworth who sadly passed away in her 30s 
• John Knight Award for 'Best Tubs, Hanging Baskets and Window Boxes' is named after a former colleague and keen gardener, John Knight. He was known for combining his engineering skills with his gardening prowess to create a series of special brackets for his home garden
• Steps into Work (SiW) is a 12-month programme that offers valuable work experience and employability skills training to people who are neurodivergent. It's delivered in partnership with Shaw Trust. The programme provides the opportunity to complete three different work experience placements, lasting 8 - 12 weeks across our London offices, stations, piers and the Greater London Authority (GLA). The placements are designed to broaden understanding of the different work that TfL delivers. Details can be found here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/steps-into-work.