The National Trust has announced that it will launch its Sky Gardening Challenge competition on Monday 1 June, with entries welcome from people who live in flats and apartments in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The competition will have a range of categories, encouraging participants to enter everything from one plant pot to showcasing how their balcony is attracting wildlife and pollinators. 

Research by the University of Manchester found that there could be well over 430k balconies across England and Wales covering a total area of 177.3 ha, (equivalent to around 250 football pitches) which could be green oases.

This is the first year that the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge and competition has gone national following a successful pilot held in Greater Manchester in 2025.

Dot Tye, an Urban Ranger from the National Trust, who will be one of the judges of the competition, says: “Greening even a small space is a great way for people in flats to connect to nature, and this competition aims to inspire people to give it a go and showcase their efforts. We’re not looking for plant perfection here, we want people to see what they can grow. We’re celebrating residents who go that extra mile to do something for nature and their own wellbeing. 

“There are prizes too for the winners. And to make sure people can get started there are workshops taking place across the country, supported by L&G, and online. Most importantly we want people to have fun.” 

One of last year’s winners was Harry Gray (pictured) who won the category Wild about Wildlife. Harry, 30, lives in a flat in Salford with his partner Jasmine. He says:

 “I’d been on holiday and when I came home, I noticed these crater shaped holes in my plant pots. Then I saw a duck. She nested in my lavender plant and laid her eggs and spent weeks incubating them. Eventually they hatched and we had to carry her ducklings in a bucket, stopping buses to let Millie the mother duck cross the road, and release them into the canal to much fanfare. You could say that our balcony is a wildlife hub in the heart of the city! 

“Creating the balcony has given me so much joy. I love watching the birds. We have blue tits and goldfinches and the occasional robin and wren. We had a visit from a bigger bird recently – it looked like a sparrowhawk.”

Other categories include:

One Pot Power - proving that one pot is all you need to make something brilliant.

Food Growing - seeing how much you can grow to eat on your balcony or window box, from flat to fork.

Sustainable Solutions - hacks to green your balcony or window box the green way.

Greener Ground Floors - showing what is possible if you live in a flat with a ground floor green space.

Competition entries will close at midnight on 16 August and judges will visit the shortlisted participants to decide the winners.  Judges include Dot Tye, Urban Ranger from the National Trust; award-winning balcony gardener, Jason Williams (known as The Cloud Gardener); and Victoria Holden of Northern Lily - an award-winning social enterprise. 

Prizes include £200 of gardening vouchers including a voucher for your wildlife needs with National Trust brand partner CJ Wildlife; a photo book of the winners’ gardens, and a voucher so winners can capture and print their onward gardening journey, courtesy of the National Trust’s photo printing partner CEWE. 

To enter the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge as well as terms and conditions, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/sky-gardening-challenge