The Garden Club of Bermuda will be holding its third ?Bermuda in Bloom? competition in May.

The deadline for entries is on Friday, April 21 and judging will take place during the first week in May.

?Bermuda in Bloom? aims to foster civic pride by encouraging people in Bermuda to enhance their own piece of the rock. Coinciding with Heritage Month, this year?s competition will also be an opportunity to help celebrate The Garden Club of Bermuda?s 85th birthday. All Bermuda residents with gardens which are visible from a public or estate road are eligible to enter.

Veronica Lowry, spokesperson for the Garden Club, commented: ?You don?t need to have professional help to enter and size doesn?t matter.

Whether you have a large or small garden, porch, veranda or even staircase, this is your chance to have your gardening efforts recognised.

Judges will be looking for gardens that are well-tended, free of disease, pests and weeds, and that have a pleasing visual effect, with a range and variety of colourful plants (foliage or flowers).

Garden features, such as arches, ponds or statues, should be creatively designed and have aesthetic appeal and presentation.?

All entrants who reach the Gold, Silver or Bronze standard, will be awarded with a gift certificate. The Certificates have been donated by Aberfeldy Nurseries; Brighton Hill Nurseries; Gorham?s Home and Outdoor Centre; Masters Limited; and The Animal & Garden House.

?The Garden Club of Bermuda is looking forward to a bumper crop of participants,? said Mrs. Lowry. ?Entry is free and forms are available at our sponsor garden outlets, listed above, so get out, get gardening and please participate in this worthwhile competition!?

Their popular annual Open House and Gardens programme will commence April 26 in Devonshire.

All proceeds provide scholarships for Bermudians studying horticultural subjects.

The scholarship programme is now in its 38th consecutive year.