Clackmannanshire Council Online

Garden Competition Seeks Good Crop of Entries

Entry forms are now available for Clackmannanshire Council's Annual Garden Competition.

Now in its 33rd year, the competition is open to everyone including Council tenants, private home owners, local businesses and allotment owners. The lucky winners will receive a range of vouchers to spend in garden centres.

And it doesn't matter how big or small your garden is. Even if you have no garden we will happily judge your window box or floral tubs.

We have prizes to reward effort and excellence in eight sections, as well as for the best floral garden in nine geographic areas. You may have the best floral garden in the county, or you may have the best home grown veg and if you have never tried before, you could be the best newcomer.

Provost Derek Stewart, who will help to judge this year's competition later this summer, said: "I look forward to the garden competition every year and am delighted when I see the commitment and enthusiasm of all the local residents and businesses who do their best to improve the look of the area."

The competition categories are: Biodiversity, Best Council Tenant, Floral, Vegetable, Allotment, Commercial Premises, Floral Containers and Best Newcomer.

All categories are judged on:

• the general appearance and layout of the garden
• the utilisation of the plant material within the garden
• the standard of cultivation and maintenance of the garden

This year's judges include David Crighton from Stirling Council. David has over 25 years of horticultural experience within local authorities, from his apprenticeship through to his current post of Streetscape Team Leader. During this time he has gained invaluable experience on a variety of horticultural skills including propagation of nursery stock, maintenance of sports pitches, management and maintenance of trees and shrubs and much more. David's own interests are the diversity of plants and good design.

He will be looking for bright, colourful displays using original ideas and design. They will also be giving points to gardeners who have made the best use of their space and giving extra points for environmental awareness features like composters, water butts and wormeries.

Application forms are available from Land Services at Kilncraigs or can be downloaded from the Council website www.clacksweb.org.uk. Closing date for entries is 30th June 2008 and judging will take place in early August.