This year’s Westgate in Bloom competition was all about growing together – bringing residents, children and local communities together to plant, grow, cook and celebrate.
Each home was challenged to partner with a local school, youth group, Beavers, childminders or another local group involving children or young people. community group. Together, they grew fruit and vegetables and watched their produce flourish throughout the challenge. Once harvested, they used their home-grown produce to create delicious dishes, with our chefs joining the challenge and helping each home make the most of its harvest.
From planting seeds to harvesting, cooking and sharing the results, the competition created opportunities for residents to enjoy their interests, share their knowledge and build connections with people in their local communities.
From Garden to Table at Burford House
Burford House truly embraced the opportunity to turn their home-grown produce into delicious creations. The team prepared a fantastic selection for the judges to enjoy. This included tomato soup, tomato salsa, strawberry and vanilla cupcakes and homemade strawberry jam.
The project also provided residents with the chance to continue doing something they have always enjoyed. Philip, who has a lifelong love of gardening, kept tomato plants outside his room and enjoyed helping to grow the produce.
For Philip and the other residents, the project was about much more than growing vegetables – it was a chance to enjoy a familiar hobby, try something new and take pride in what they had grown.
Burford House Westgate In Bloom Full Video
Four Months of Teamwork at Chestnut Manor
At Chestnut Manor, residents were at the heart of the project throughout its four-month journey. Over the four months, residents took part in growing, caring for and harvesting their produce, with family members also getting involved along the way.
One of the most rewarding parts of the project was seeing residents enjoy the produce they had grown themselves. The journey from planting to harvest gave residents the chance to enjoy the fruits of their work together.
A Taste of Success at St Pauls Care Centre
St Pauls Care Centre residents, the Hemel Hempstead Beavers and the Activities Team came together to celebrate their Grow Together project with a special tasting session. During a bakery session, the group made a delicious chilli chutney, while the chef prepared crackers, croissants and vanilla cupcakes using strawberries grown by the residents.
The chilli chutney was a particular highlight. Hazel, one of the residents, even peeled each individual garlic clove as part of the preparation! The team beautifully presented the tasting outdoors alongside the Westgate in Bloom planting, creating a fitting celebration of everything the residents had grown and created.
St Pauls Westgate In Bloom Full Video
Growing Together at Westgate House
At Westgate House, residents enjoyed working alongside pupils from St. Mary’s Junior School as well as one of their neighbours as part of their Grow Together project. Residents shared their knowledge and experience with the children, who also helped to grow and care for the plants.
It was a lovely example of different generations coming together and sharing the growing journey.
Proud Growers at Kingfisher
At Kingfisher, residents took great pride in their contribution to the project, with their pumpkin becoming a particular highlight. The home-grown pumpkin became a particular talking point, with residents enjoying seeing just how much it had grown. Their garden also produced courgettes and peppers, which were enjoyed as part of the project.
Fresh from the Garden at Meadowhill
At Meadowhill, two residents proudly took our judges outside to showcase the fruit and vegetables they had grown. Their happiness and pride were clear to see, with the residents keen to share what they had achieved over the past few months. The judges were even given the opportunity to sample one of the freshly grown tomatoes. The home is planning to use more of its produce to create fresh salads, giving residents the chance to enjoy the fruits of their hard work.
Growing Connections at Hampden Hall
At Hampden Hall, residents embraced the opportunity to get involved in every stage of the growing journey. By the time the judges visited, the produce had already been harvested and turned into delicious creations, but two residents were able to share their memories of the project.
The residents spoke fondly about growing their produce and their visit to a local strawberry farm, which helped them overcome some challenges they had experienced with their own crop.
The real highlight of the project was the connection Hampden Hall developed with two local childminders. This relationship will continue beyond the competition, with regular visits planned to the home. The new relationship is something residents are particularly proud of, with regular visits planned to continue the connection beyond the competition.
Byron House Blows Us Away
Linda Activities Lead and Renjini Home Manager welcomed the judges in the garden, alongside two residents who have become Gardening Lifestyle Pioneers. The team gave the judges a tour of the garden as well as the potting shed. They also shared the project’s journey and how it had developed since launching in April.
The visit ended with a selection of produce grown in the garden and prepared by the home’s chef, who joined the group to celebrate.
Residents spoke passionately about how much they had enjoyed the process, and the project has even inspired the creation of a new product that the team plans to share with the local community.
From Seed to Supper at Riverdale
At Riverdale, residents followed their produce from seed to supper. The garden provided the starting point for the project, with fruit and vegetables grown from seeds planted alongside children from John Ray School back in April.
The judging visit included a tasting session prepared by Chef Andy, with residents Jenny and Joy enjoying a selection of dishes made using the home-grown produce. The menu featured a delicious tomato pasta bake with fresh herbs and garlic, alongside a tomato and basil pastry tart.
From planting seeds with the children to harvesting and cooking the produce, residents were involved throughout the journey – ending with a delicious meal made with what they had grown.
And the Winner Is… St Pauls Care Centre! 🏆
After visiting every participating home, we saw the incredible effort, creativity and enthusiasm behind this year’s Westgate in Bloom: Grow Together competition.
We are delighted to announce that St Pauls Care Centre has won our 2026 competition!
St Pauls truly embraced the spirit of the competition, bringing residents, the Activities Team and the Hemel Hempstead Beavers together throughout the project. From growing produce to making chilli chutney and preparing their tasting session, the home embraced every part of the Grow Together challenge.
Lucy W, Activities Lead at St Pauls Care Centre, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won Westgate in Bloom this year. The residents have been incredibly involved and have taken great pride in everything we have grown together. It has been wonderful to see everyone working together, from planting and caring for the produce to making the chutney and preparing our tasting session. The residents have really enjoyed being part of the whole journey, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together.”
Rebecca, Operations Director, added: “Grow Together has been a fantastic example of what can happen when our homes bring residents, colleagues and the wider community together around a shared idea. Every home brought something special to the competition, but St Pauls really demonstrated the spirit of the challenge from start to finish. We are incredibly proud of the team and, most importantly, the residents who made the project so special.”
A Special Honour for Byron House
While St Pauls Care Centre took home the overall Westgate in Bloom: Grow Together 2026 title, we also recognised the contribution of Byron House.
After winning the competition for two consecutive years, Byron House once again went above and beyond with this year’s entry, marking three years of exceptional involvement in Westgate in Bloom.
Gardening Pioneers for Life
To recognise Byron House’s exceptional commitment, they have received a very special honorary Westgate in Bloom Gardening Pioneers title – a unique recognition celebrating their three-year Westgate in Bloom journey.
Tara, Director at Westgate Healthcare, said: “Byron House have shown incredible dedication to Westgate in Bloom year after year. Their passion for gardening, their residents and their community has been truly inspiring. After winning two years in a row and continuing to go above and beyond this year, we felt they deserved a very special recognition. We are delighted to name them our Gardening Pioneers for Life.”
Linda, Activities Lead at Byron House, said: “The residents have absolutely loved being involved in the garden. It has become something they look forward to and take real pride in. Seeing the residents enjoy every stage, from planting and growing to creating something they could share, has been incredibly rewarding.”
Celebrating the Fruits of Our Labour
Across Westgate Healthcare, this year’s competition has been about much more than what was grown in our gardens. It has been about the people, relationships and experiences that grew alongside it.
Most importantly, the competition has shown the power of growing together. Residents worked alongside children, families, colleagues and community groups, sharing skills, enjoying familiar interests and discovering new ones along the way.
A huge congratulations to St Pauls Care Centre for winning our 2026 competition! We also celebrate Byron House and their unique Gardening Pioneers recognition. We are incredibly proud of every resident, colleague, chef, child and community partner who helped bring these projects to life.
From the first seed planted to the final tasting, every home has shown that when we grow together, we grow more than just vegetables – we grow connections, confidence and memories too. 🌱