I have just been looking at some photos from the first year and cannot believe the transformations of all gardens and outdoor spaces. Every place has just developed so beautifully over time. So that’s why they’re here on the blog now. They’re just too beautiful to keep secret!
Huge congratulations, of course, to the winners, runners up and everyone who took part.
Kate’s Kanopy was inspired by the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a forest conservation initiative that was started in 2015 and runs throughout all the countries in the Commonwealth of Nations. We saw how places all over the world were planting trees and giving back to the world and we wanted to have magical sanctuaries of our own. After all, we deserve it: we work hard and the people we work alongside deserve to have their own English country gardens to relax and unwind.
This year, I passed the judge’s hat over to Zara Sweet. It’s actually been torture the last four years having to choose winners, since there are absolute gems in every garden.
So before you read on for our guest judge’s results, I just want to say thank you to our colleagues and to our young people for the time, commitment and dedication to making the gardens spectacular. The hard work everyone has put into every corner of every garden is easy to see. Keeping anything alive in the recent weather conditions is a miracle in itself. Bravo, you fabulous lot!
Oh, and thanks for feeding and watering us at every house, too.
See you next year!
Kate Hand
Operations Manager
Navigator Yiewsley
When Kate asked me to be the judge for the Kanopy this year, I was more than happy – but I really didn’t realise how hard it would be! As Kate says, the transformation of the gardens from when we first started is AMAZING. Everyone’s hard work and dedication has been out of this world. I can honestly say that working alongside such people really does put a smile on my face.
Thank you so much for the hospitality and food we received everywhere. I’m especially impressed by the rice at Challenger, which was prepared by a young person who didn’t know how to cook when they moved in. They definitely do now though – a huge step up from boil-in-the-bag 😉
So below, please find our winners – and then see what a difficult job I had choosing them. Huge congratulations to everyone, especially all the young people who got involved.
Till next year!
Zara Sweet
Head of Advice Services
Navigator Yiewsley
Winners
Most Colourful
Winner – Challenger House, Hillingdon
Runner up – Chilton House, Hillingdon
Best Team / Young Person JOINT Effort
Winner – Swakefields, Hillingdon
Runner up – Challenger House, Hillingdon
Best Vegetable/Herb Patch
Winner – Bedwell Gardens, Hillingdon
Runner up – Swakefields, Hillingdon
Most Eco-Friendly Ideas
Winner – Wokingham
Runner up – Swakefields, Hilllingdon
Challenger House
Nadine and the team did well, even roping in Charles, one of the bank workers
The young people at Challenger have also been busy growing butterflies…
…as well as Clare with her passion flower!
Bedwell Gardens
Well done to Sharon and Amelia – and thanks for the ice cream 😊
Chilton House
Stevie and Tajana’s colourful effort
Wokingham
Hats off to Donna for her effort in the heatwave, even going to water the plants on her days off!
Donna’s plant for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Swakefields
This ‘year one’ garden really stood out to me with the transformation and effort that has gone into it, and that is Swakefields with a special shout out to Tracey (when are you coming to my house?)
Tracey and the young people levelled and re-turfed this themselves!
Enjoying the home-grown salad with our burgers!
A huge congratulations to everyone and especially all the young people that got involved.
See you next year 😊
