Planting Day in the Park

Our main school event is Planting Day in the Park – where all the schools come together in People’s Park and plant the Rose Garden.

For several years this event has proved to be a fantastic opportunity for primary school pupils to develop teamwork skills, creativity, and a passion for nature. Every year a relevant theme or topic is picked and schools across Banbury are given the task of designing constructing centrepieces for placement in the centre of their designated flowerbed. Pupils then converge on the Rose Garden in People’s Park for a day of planting and fun.

At the end of the event, awards for Best Planted Bed and Best Centrepiece are handed out, and the flower arrangements are opened to the public for town residents to enjoy.

Below you can view the latest editions of Planting in the Park. Anyone looking for more information on this event can email info@banbury.gov.uk.

2026 – ‘100 Years of Winnie The Pooh’

For the 2026 Planting Day in the Park, children from Banbury’s primary schools took to People’s Park to celebrate this year’s event for ‘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.

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.