Green-fingered residents and flower fanciers are invited to enter the District in Bloom Awards 2011 and help make St Albans City and District greener and more attractive.

It is the second year that the awards, which provide a great opportunity to showcase your front garden or retail premises, have been organised by St Albans City and District Council.

Building on the success of last year’s event, the Council has this year added four new award categories:

• Best public house rear garden
• Best sheltered housing garden
• Best unparished city garden
• Best allotment site

Liberal Democrat Leader of the Council, Cllr Robert Donald, said: “We received some very encouraging comments from the public following last year’s District in Bloom competition, and we are building on this success this year by introducing four new categories and working to make this a real District-wide celebration.”

The other categories will be the same as last year and include:

• Best Parish in bloom
• Best school project
• Best sustainable garden
• Best retail/commercial frontage
• Best senior citizen garden

The awards are designed to highlight local residential, commercial and community projects that contribute towards making St Albans City and District a greener and more attractive place to live, one of the Council’s ten priorities.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage, said: “Residents, schools, businesses and community groups entered the District in Bloom competition last year with enthusiasm. They were also quite competitive! The competition encourages pride in our community and makes the District a greener and more pleasant one for all of us to enjoy. The judges look for recycling initiatives and nature conservation as well as horticultural experience.”

The winners of each category will win £50 of vouchers from Ayletts Nurseries. There are also a range of runner-up prizes donated by other sponsors.

The awards can be entered by completing an application form and sending it to District in Bloom, St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3JE. Application forms can be downloaded from the Council’s website at: www.stalbans.gov.uk/district-in-bloom

and hard copies are also available from the Council’s offices at the Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans; the Old Town Hall in Market Place, St Albans, and from Ayletts Nurseries on the A414, south of St Albans.

The deadline for entries is 20 May 2011 and the judging will take place in the first two weeks of July.

Sponsors of the awards include Ayletts Nurseries and The Herts Advertiser who will provide media coverage.

Other sponsors include Romans, Villa Plus, Hertfordshire County Council, Indos Computer Services, Fairweather Roofing, Sopwell House and Warren Evans who have all signed up to sponsor roundabouts in the District. Money raised from this initiative is being used to enhance the roundabouts and to help fund the District in Bloom awards each year.

Any business or organisation interested in sponsoring a roundabout or becoming a sponsor of awards on their own, can contact email [email protected] or call the Council’s Grounds Maintenance Team on 01727 819366.