Rooting for you: Entries open for Victoria in Bloom 2026-2027

Spring has finally arrived. Bringing warmer weather and longer days. A time when bright green shoots push through the soil.

A perfect time to recognise and reward the great work of gardening enthusiasts living in social housing. Victoria in Bloom is a way of saying thanks to renters for their hard work to create and maintain amazing gardens.

These gardens do something much more important than just making our homes look nice. They bring people together.

This is exactly what happens at the Crown Street Community Garden Group - the winners of the 2024-2025 Victoria in Bloom Garden of the Year!

Stephen Lacey and Rodney Nugent took us on a tour around their amazing edible garden and talked about the comradeship the garden brings.

Stephen: "We talk about football, cricket. You know, it's not good being locked up in your room all day when you can come down and have a chat to someone in your own backyard."

Have you got soil under your fingernails and a smile on your face? Is your balcony turning into a mini jungle and your garden beds overflowing with fresh food? Then we're looking for you!

How to enter

Getting involved is easy: 

1. Nominate your garden before 20 November 2026
2. You can enter by calling 03 8633 4362 or 03 8633 4357, or by emailing vicbloom@dffh.vic.gov.au
3. Include your name, address, phone number, email (if you have one), and up to 2 categories you’d like to enter.
4. Judges will first visit gardens in each division (North, South, East and West) before picking the statewide winners.

Award categories

Whether you’re growing flowers, veggies or something else, there’s a category for you:

• Best balcony or container garden – for potted plants and balcony blooms.
• Best small enclosed garden – cosy courtyards with lots of charm.
• Best young gardener (under 25) – for young gardeners making a difference at home, school or in the community.
• Best household garden – front or back gardens that are larger than a courtyard.
• Best sustainable garden – eco-friendly gardens. They may include features like compost, water tanks, worm farms, mulch or drought-smart plants.
• Best community or common area garden – Shared gardens that can be accessed and used by all the residents on a property. They are often part of an apartment or unit complex.
• Best edible garden – for fruit, veg and herb lovers.
• Best creative garden – a garden that has been designed using creativity, uniqueness and self-expression.
• Best first-year entry garden – garden entered for the first time in the competition.