BATH has won the Britain in Bloom Awards – 60 years after it won the first iteration of the competition.

The city was praised for its “delightful gardens and seasonal displays” as well as its engagement with schools, facilitating horticultural activities from planting trees to creating raised beds for edibles, as well as living roofs, bug hotels and dipping ponds.

One project even involved growing wheat and milling it to produce flour before baking bread, providing pupils with first-hand experience of the plot-to-plate journey.

The finalists were nominated for the finals having previously impressed judges in their regional competitions.

Bath wasn’t the only area of Somerset that blossomed at the competition however, as Glastonbury in Bloom secured a gold award in the town category while Yeovil in Bloom picked up a silver gilt in the large town category.

Glastonbury also won a Discretionary Award for Exceptional Public Engagement in Arts and Culture, while Stephen Fox from Yeovil was also handed a Community Champion Award.

Yeovil in Bloom won a silver gilt in the large town category – presented by Frances Tophill Picture: Lee Charlton/RHS

A Yeovil in Bloom spokesperson said: “We are absolutely over the moon to have made it this far again and we hope for the same success in the future!”

“Congratulations to our wonderful Stephen Fox who has won a very well deserved Community Champion Award!,” the spokesperson added.

“He has been dedicated to delivering the Yeovil In Bloom initiative for 25 years and has done an absolutely incredible job!”

Glastonbury in Bloom at the awards ceremony – presented by Frances Tophill Picture: Lee Charlton/RHS

Bath managed to beat 52 other finalist from across the UK for the title of overall champion.

Dame Mary Berry, RHS Ambassador, said: “Bath in Bloom won this competition 60 years ago and have done it again on their 60th anniversary.

“Bath is such a special place to me – I grew up there. Congratulations!”

Sarah Galvin, RHS head of national community programmes, said: “Bath in Bloom showed not only outstanding horticultural displays but also great dedication to their community and the environment.

“They were the first ever winners of the competition, 60 years ago, so it’s a great pleasure to be able to crown them champions once again in this special anniversary year.

Bath in Bloom Parade Gardens Picture: RHS

“Over the past six decades Britain in Bloom has evolved from what many saw as a rural hanging basket competition to a major socio-environmental campaign that is improving villages, towns and cities across the UK.”

Winners were presented with their trophies at the RHS Britain in Bloom 2024 awards ceremony, held this afternoon in Manchester, with the overall winner unveiled to the public on BBC One’s The One Show.

Full results of the RHS Britain in Bloom 2024 UK Finals can be found at rhs.org.uk/bloomawardsresults