THE London Boroughs of Hillingdon, Ealing, Islington, Richmond and Tower Hamlets, together with London Bridge and Walthamstow Village have been selected to represent the Capital in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2017. 

They will join 72 other Britain in Bloom finalists competing to be crowned one of the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful places in the UK. 

The London finalists were chosen for their commitment to environmental responsibility, their high levels of community participation and their outstanding gardening achievements. 

Between them the seven groups will plant thousands of bulbs, perennials, bedding plants and trees across the city, transforming hard grey areas into green spaces that benefit communities and the environment. 

In August, the finalists will lead RHS Britain in Bloom judges on a tour of their areas as they bid to win a top award.

The winners will be announced at the Britain in Bloom awards ceremony in Llandudno, North Wales on October 27.

A number of special awards that recognise excellence in a particular area, be that protecting the local environment, getting young people involved in gardening, or overcoming adversity such as flooding or vandalism, will also be up for grabs.

Now in its 53rd year, Britain in Bloom has evolved into a UK-wide campaign that brings communities together while promoting the environmental and health and wellbeing benefits of gardening. 

London in Bloom chairman Geoff Hyde said: “London in Bloom has nominated seven strong entries into the Britain in Bloom Finals 2017 – the Large Cities of the London Boroughs of Hillingdon and Ealing, the Cities of the London Boroughs of Islington, Tower Hamlets and Richmond, together with the Urban Community of Walthamstow Village and  London Bridge in Bloom in the BID category.

“All of them have a long history of participation in London in Bloom and we wish them well.” 

RHS head of community outreach Andrea Van Sittart said: “Congratulations to all the groups on reaching the UK Finals of this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom campaign.

“To get this far is a fantastic achievement for all the groups and the armies of volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year to make Britain a more beautiful place to live.

“That we have such a breadth of finalists is testament to the reach and relevance of the campaign, with finalists representing an incredibly diverse range of places, from small rural villages, right through to vast urban areas in our inner cities.

“We wish the London finalists the very best of luck as they embark on a gardening year to remember.”