Whether it’s a spot of gardening, cheering up flowerbeds, or just cleaning up their local street, green-fingered Cumbrians could win £100 worth of plants, bulbs and seeds, as Cumbria in Bloom 2009 begins to take shape.
But the competition is isn’t just about floral bedding and hanging baskets - Cumbria in Bloom means breathing life into your local green spaces taking pride in your local area.
The competition is open to everybody in Cumbria and designs can come from drawings, photographs, computerised artwork and even paintings.
Sponsored by Cumbria County Council, the competition will see the winning entrants win £100 worth of plants, bulbs and seeds towards bringing their 2009 entry to life.
The competition is open for entrants old and new, with the deadline for their 2009 designs on 30 September 2008
Previous competition winner Chris Carss, Managing Director of Rothay Garden Hotel, Grasmere, explained how the competition has improved business for the hotel.
He said: "As a previous winner of the Cumbria in Bloom Award, we’ve found that many of our guests are drawn to the hotel because of its accolades –and the public nationally have a great recognition of the "In Bloom" awards.
"As a business which promotes the surrounding environment we place great importance on this award. Of course, it also directly complements the name of the hotel, so we’ll definitely be entering the Cumbria in Bloom Award again in the future."
Cllr Gary Strong, cabinet member responsible for Community Development and Safety, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to communities to pull together and make their town, village, back garden or even their roadside stand out.
"Above all Cumbria in Bloom means people taking pride in their community and none of this could be achieved without the enthusiasm of the whole community working together to improve their local environment.
"I expect this to be another year when communities right across Cumbria show what a positive difference the award makes to enhancing the qualities of our wonderful county."
Three winners from each of the six categories will win £100 planting materials to be grown in time for next year’s competition, judged in early summer. Six schools –one from each district in Cumbria –will also win a prize.
Entry categories for this year include: best business premises, best hanging basket, most innovative way to grow vegetables, and a new category for next year’s competition, the Wordsworth Award, a special category dedicated to daffodils and wild flowers.
Designs must be sent, by 30 September 2008, to Jane Cairns, Communications Team, The Courts, Carlisle CA3 8NA or emailed to jane.cairns@cumbriacc.gov.uk. Judging will take place in October 2008.
Cumbria in Bloom categories for 2008 are:
Category A - Best business premises
Category B - Best vegetable garden/plot
Category C - Most innovative way to grow flowers/vegetables Category D - Best small garden - urban and rural Category E - Best community/street gardening imitative Category F - Best hanging basket/container/window box Category G - Schools - we're offering £100 to one school in each of Cumbria's six districts. The prize will be awarded to the best designs for environmental gardens.
Category H - Residential Homes
Special Category - Wordsworth Award –The one flower that really defines Cumbria: the daffodil. For this award we're looking for designs that incorporate daffodils and wild flowers to best effect. Could your design inspire today's Cumbrian poets? Again there's £100 up for grabs for the winning design.
Notes
Cumbria in Bloom is a charitable organisation whose aim is the promotion, improvement and understanding of horticulture, floriculture and environmental issues for the benefit of the inhabitants of Cumbria.
ENDS
Media enquiries to Media Officer Chris Little on 01228 226334.