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Surrey
Heath Borough Council Surrey Police Woking Area
Primary Care Trust Surrey County
Council |
NEWS
RELEASE |
Fighting Drought to make the Borough Bloom
Green-fingered Surrey Heath residents have been doing their best to make the borough bloom despite the hosepipe ban. Surrey Heath in Bloom 2006, which aims to make the borough a more pleasant place to live, is well underway with 48 entries having already been received across the eight categories. |
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Portfolio holder for leisure and the environment Cllr Patricia Pearce said: "The borough council has organised Surrey Heath In Bloom for the past 14 years. We encourage people to conserve water to make the best of their gardens whilst the hosepipe ban is in force, so this is an ideal opportunity to take advantage of Surrey Heath's offer of purchasing a water butt kit. For more details about how to purchase a kit complete with stand, childproof lid and rain diverter visit www.getcomposting.com/surreyheath."
South East Water offers some useful advice for gardeners to achieve a colourful garden during the drought conditions;
Collect rain water with water
butts or other large containers
Use water retaining gel in hanging baskets
Use grey water from baths and showers to water your plants
Plant drought resistant plants
Use mulches around your plants
Water plants in the evenings
Direct water to the plant roots and do not water the bare ground
And there is still time to take part in this year's competition which
is free to enter and has a variety of prizes and trophies up for grabs
for the winners of each category.
Sandringham School in Frimley launched the competition last year (see attached photo) and is just one of the schools to have already entered, along with Holy Trinity Primary School in West End, Cross Farm Infant School in Frimley Green, Lightwater Village School, Pine Ridge Nursery and Infant School in Old Dean and Portesbury School and Lorraine Infant School in Camberley.
Schools have until June 23 to register for the competition which will be judged on criteria including creativity, colour, themes, student participation and originality, and they stand the chance of winning £150 of Notcutts Garden Centre vouchers.
The closing date for entries in the Best Private Wildlife Garden, Best Front Garden, Best Hanging Basket, Best Allotment and Wacky Plant Pot categories is July 21 and Tallest Sunflower entries will be accepted up to August 18.
For more information on the competition, including the criteria and prizes on offer, please visit Leisure then Surrey Heath in Bloom 2006 or contact 01276 707338.
More Information
For further tips on water efficiency visit South East Water
For up to date information contact your Utility Company or The Environment Agency or email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk or telephone 08708 506506.
The photo shows pupils from Sandringham School in Frimley preparing their Surrey Heath In Bloom entry.
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