Hundreds of Pupils Plant Around 9400 Flowers as Banbury Schools Take Part in Planting Day in the Park 2026
Pupils from primary schools across Banbury have come together in People’s Park to once again turn the rose garden into a striking display of colour and nature as part of the 2026 return of Planting Day in the Park.
The annual event sees children from the town’s primary schools invited to a special day of planting flowers around specifically constructed ‘centrepieces’ in their own designated flowerbed. These beds and centrepieces are centred around a particularly theme that is selected by Banbury Town Council in advance, giving students a window to work together before the event, planning out their flowerbed arrangement and utilising both strategy and creativity as well as teamwork.
The theme for this year’s event was ‘100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh’. The books starring the famous bear, written by author A.A. Milne, were first published in 1926. Children were tasked with creating flowerbed centrepieces based on the characters and locations featured in the books.
This year, pupils with trowels, forks and dibbers used around 9,450 plants as they turned their flower beds into colourful scenes that were as imaginative as they were visually impressive.
Hundreds of students took part in the event, with Radio Horton providing music and commentary throughout the day. They also led a dance session to entertain the children while the judges made their decisions on the top flowerbeds in the Rose Garden.
Organised each year by Banbury Town Council, Planting Day in the Park is an event that encourages young people to develop an interest in nature and horticulture. It serves as an opportunity for children to learn about flowers and their importance within the natural world, as well as how to correctly plant them so that they can thrive. It also provides the opportunity to partake in teamwork, friendly competition, and the chance to enjoy the great outdoors.
The event also saw schools awarded prizes for ‘Best Flowerbed Arrangement’ and ‘Best Centrepiece’. The awards were handed to winners by Councillor for Ruscote, Rebecca Biegel, who is also Vice-Chairman of the General Services Committee at Banbury Town Council. Receiving the Gold Award for the best flowerbed was The Grange. Meanwhile, the top prize for centrepiece design was handed to St Mary’s School.
Full List of Winners:
Best Planted Bed
• Gold – The Grange
• Silver Gilt – Harriers
• Silver – St Mary’s
• Bronze – Dashwood Academy
• Highly Commended – Wroxton School
Best Centrepiece
• Gold – St Mary’s
• Silver Gilt – Dashwood Academy
• Silver – Hardwick School
• Bronze – St Jospeh’s
• Highly Commended – Frank Wise
The ‘Planting Day in the Park’ event is one of the many initiatives Banbury Town Council organises within People’s Park, which it cares for along with other town parks. It also cares for Banbury green spaces, cemeteries, allotments, and more.
Anyone looking for more news and information on Banbury Town Council responsibilities and initiatives, as well as other services offered by Banbury Town Council, can visit www.banbury.gov.uk, follow the council on Facebook and Instagram or call on 01295 250340.
