Renfrew Best Garden Competition 2026 Congratulations Jim
Some gardens make you stop for a moment before you even reach the front gate. Jim’s is one of those gardens.
A huge congratulations goes to Jim, the winner of Renfrew Community Council’s Best Garden Competition 2026. His award is well deserved, not just because his garden looks beautiful, but because of the care, patience and pride behind it.
This isn’t a garden pulled together in a single season. Jim has spent over 40 years looking after it, shaping it and turning it into a wonderful outdoor space for himself and his family to enjoy every day. That kind of dedication shows in every tidy border, every splash of colour and every well-kept corner.
When we phoned Jim to share the good news, his reaction said everything.
“I’ve never won anything in my life.”
He was absolutely over the moon, and honestly, that made the moment even more special.
A garden built with care over four decades
Forty years is a long time to care for any space. Gardens change with the seasons, with the weather and with life itself. Plants grow, shrubs need cutting back, flowers come and go, and some ideas work better than others. Keeping a garden looking welcoming year after year takes real commitment.
Jim’s garden stood out because it clearly hasn’t been created for show alone. It’s a lived-in, loved and carefully maintained space. It’s the sort of garden that feels personal, the result of many small jobs done often rather than one huge effort at the last minute.
That might mean:
keeping borders neat and full of colour
choosing plants that suit the space
cutting grass and paths so the whole garden feels cared for
tidying little details that many people might miss
making the garden somewhere family can relax and enjoy
Those details matter. They’re what turn a garden from simply “nice” into somewhere that feels special.
When we visited Jim to present the award in person, it was a real pleasure to see the garden up close. Photos can show colour and shape, but being there gives you a much better sense of the work involved. You can see the planning, the regular care and the pride that has gone into it.
Jim’s win is a reminder to give things a go
One of the loveliest parts of Jim’s story is that he entered without expecting to win. His own words sum it up perfectly.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
It’s a simple saying, but it fits this competition so well. Many people look after beautiful gardens, window boxes, pots, lawns or shared spaces and never think to put themselves forward. They might feel their garden isn’t big enough, fancy enough or perfect enough.
Jim’s win is a reminder that entering is worth it. The point of a community garden competition isn’t only to find the biggest or most polished garden. It’s also about recognising effort, care and the pride people take in their homes and neighbourhoods.
A garden can be impressive in lots of ways. It might be packed with flowers, carefully planned across the seasons, full of wildlife-friendly planting, or simply kept neat and cheerful. What matters most is the thought and work behind it.
Jim gave it a go, and now he’s the 2026 winner. That’s a pretty good case for taking a chance.
Celebrating the pride people take in Renfrew
The Best Garden Competition is about more than one front garden, one winner or one prize. It’s a celebration of the pride so many residents take in making Renfrew a greener, brighter and more welcoming place to live.
Every entry helps tell that story.
Some gardens may have taken decades to build. Others may be newer projects, started with a few pots, a small patch of lawn or a border that needed a bit of love. Each one adds something to the street around it.
It’s easy to underestimate the difference gardens make. A well-kept outdoor space can lift a whole area. It brings colour to the street, gives neighbours something to chat about and helps create a stronger sense of place. Even a small display by a doorway can make a home feel more cheerful.
That’s why competitions like this matter. They shine a light on the quiet effort that often happens week after week, usually without much fuss. The weeding, watering, planting, trimming and tidying all add up.
Jim’s garden is a brilliant example of that. It reflects years of care, but it also reflects something many people across Renfrew share: a real pride in their surroundings.
Thank you to everyone who entered
A big thank you goes to everyone who took part in this year’s competition. Whether your garden was large or small, long established or still taking shape, your entry helped make the 2026 competition a joy to be part of.
Community events rely on people joining in. Every entry adds to the sense of fun, and every garden gives us another reason to celebrate the people who help make Renfrew such a pleasant place to live.
We hope everyone who entered this year will enter again next year. We’d also love to see new faces take part. If you’ve been thinking, “Maybe my garden isn’t good enough,” Jim’s story is the perfect answer. You never know what might happen unless you give it a go.
Congratulations once again, Jim
Congratulations again to Jim, a thoroughly deserving winner of the Best Garden Competition 2026.
His garden is colourful, welcoming and beautifully maintained, but what makes the win even better is the story behind it. More than 40 years of care, a family space filled with pride and a winner who was genuinely delighted to hear the news.
That’s exactly what this competition is all about.
Well done, Jim, and thank you to everyone who helped celebrate the gardens, growers and green spaces that make Renfrew brighter.
