A woman in her garden. She has a dolly jumper on, and is wearing gardening gloves, trending to some plants.

Berkshire resident wins award for SNG’s In Bloom gardening competition

• 3 min read

A talented customer living at a Sovereign Network Group (SNG) home in Berkshire has won an award for how her garden shines as an example of sustainability.

The competition forms part of SNG’s Living Together programme; a community investment scheme that strives to reduce minor anti-social behaviour and bond communities together through a range of support, funding and resources. The Living Together Programme is made of three themes: Innovate, Befriend and the In Bloom gardening competition. 

Michelle Plummer, who lives in an SNG home in Mortimer, came first in the Sustainable Garden category in the In Bloom competition. Michelle was among five gardeners and gardening groups who stood out amongst SNG’s 85,000 households across London and the south of England.  

The judging panel were highly impressed with Michelle's garden, which exemplified an exceptional commitment to sustainability. Her considerate use of different hedges, beautiful ponds, and a wildflower meadow created habitats that support and promote local wildlife — a standout feature that led to her first-place title. Additionally, the garden’s bird and bee boxes further demonstrated Michelle’s dedication to creating an environmentally-friendly green space, providing vital resources for surrounding wildlife.

SNG In Bloom winner, Michelle Plummer said: “I was grateful to win the competition, it was a lovely surprise and what a great idea from SNG. I am very proud of the garden. It has developed over many years, and I always have ideas to further enhance it. This award is such a nice way for it to be recognised, thank you.”

Jamie Ratcliff, Chief Communities and Sustainability Officer at SNG added: “I was blown away with the levels of skill, commitment and improvement shown in all submissions to our first In Bloom competition.

“Our customers are the people who make the places we offer a home, and Michelle’s work to add to her community so that it thrives across generations, as well as the joy in her garden has been amazing to see.”