Applications open for BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair Beautiful Borders 2027

Ever dreamt of bringing a garden to life at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair? Applications for next year’s Beautiful Borders competition are now open. Why not take up the challenge and share your imagination and love of plants with tens of thousands of gardening fans. The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, sponsored by Hillier, takes place at Beaulieu in Hampshire from 30 April – 2 May 2027.

 Always popular with visitors, the Beautiful Borders are compact, 9m² gardens, brimming with fresh inspiration for small garden spaces. From first-time designers and amateur gardeners to experienced horticulturalists, the Beautiful Borders are a fantastic way to share a vision, express creativity, tell a story or realise an ambition. For charities and community groups, creating a Border is a memorable and impactful way to raise awareness or attract donations for a cause or campaign. Student teams and schools can grow their knowledge and skills, enjoy team working, and share a sense of purpose and achievement.   

 Every year, there’s a new creative theme to stimulate ideas. Celebrating 60 years of BBC Gardeners’ World, the Beautiful Borders theme for 2027 is ‘BBC Gardeners’ World Inspired Me To …’. Every Border is a blank canvas made from wooden sleepers, filled with topsoil. Entrants can select either a square or rectangular plot. The BBC Gardeners’ World events’ horticultural team supports entrants every step of the way, from application to build and final reveal. Limited bursaries of £300 are available for plants and props.

 Completed borders are assessed on site by a panel of esteemed professional show garden assessors, with medals, awards and constructive feedback for every entry. The top awards are for Best Beautiful Border, Best Interpretation of the Theme, and Best BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Subscriber Border, with a People’s Choice award for visitors’ favourite designs.

 Isobel Mills, Horticultural Events Manager at Immediate Live, organisers of BBC Gardeners’ World events, said: “BBC Gardeners’ World events are all about inspiration and achievable ideas to try at home, and the Beautiful Borders are a much-loved highlight. We really enjoy seeing visitors and Border teams deep in conversation about the plants, colours and design features used, and the stories behind them. Entering a Border is no small undertaking, but we know from designers’ feedback each year that they really enjoy the experience and the support they get throughout the process. We can’t wait to see next year’s entries which will be a wonderful way to mark BBC Gardeners’ World’s 60th anniversary.” 

 At this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, the ‘best in show’ Beautiful Border was A Garden of Many Hands by New Forest Day Opportunities and Minstead Trust, a local charity working with people with learning difficulties and autism. The woodland design was inspired by an original New Forest folk tale, written by people supported by Minstead Trust. After the Spring Fair, the Border was rebuilt at Furzey Gardens.

Minstead Trust gardening instructor Paul Smith said: “We felt emotional accepting this award on behalf of a huge team of people. The people that Minstead Trust supports were fully involved in helping us put this garden together, from concept to construction, woodwork, ceramics, crafts, everything. They were absolutely elated with this award.”

Entries for 2027 are open at www.bbcgardenersworldfair.com. The deadline for applications is  22 January.

Tickets for the BBC Gardener’s World Spring Fair are on sale now. Highlights include show gardens, Beautiful Borders and floral displays, stage talks and top tips from the BBC Gardeners’ World TV presenters, the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team and a host of gardening personalities, talks, garden tours and workshops, plant experts and specialist nurseries, plant, garden and outdoor lifestyle shopping, and great food, drink and live music.

www.bbcgardenersworldfair.com