Twyford

Hundred's of children from all over Berkshire are being challenged this year (2008) to grow the ‘fattest sunflower face’ as part of a national contest being organised by Wyevale Garden Centres Ltd, Twyford.

Wyevale Garden Centre – Hare Hatch on Floral Mile, Twyford is launching the growing competition on Saturday, April 19, 2008.

Twyford’s Garden centre Manager, Errol Austin said: “We have joined forces with the seed supplier Suttons and have packets of special sunflower seeds, bred especially to have large flower ‘heads’, to giveaway free of charge to green-fingered youngsters who would like to enter the competition. There are three titles to be won in the competition – Individual Garden Centre Winner, Regional Winner and National Winner.”

Children, aged up to 16 years, are invited to collect a packet of seeds, while stocks last, and an entry form from the Twyford garden centre anytime during normal opening hours from Saturday, April 19 until Sunday, May 18.

Errol added: “Children who have entered will need to bring their fully grown sunflower ‘face’, just the ‘head’ not the whole plant, into the garden centre, during normal garden centre opening hours, between Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 28, 2008.”

Entrants will be asked to measure their sunflower ‘heads’, across the middle of the ‘face’, excluding petals, before they bring it into the garden centre.

Errol continued: “It will then be measured again by garden centre staff when the entry is submitted. Entries from each store will be recorded and submitted for judging. The winner at each individual garden centre will be notified by October 13, 2008 and they will receive a certificate and a Suttons Seed Kit worth £4.99.

“The Individual Store Winners will be submitted centrally for judging against other entries in their region. There are five regions and the Regional Winners will be determined on October 17, 2008 and notified by October 22.”

The winners at this stage will each receive £20 worth of Wyevale vouchers, a regional winner’s certificate and will go forward to the national final on October 27, 2008.

The overall National Winner, who has grown the sunflower with the ‘fattest face’ of all the entries from all the Wyevale family garden centres across the country, will be notified of their win on October 27, 2008. They will win £50 worth of Wyevale vouchers.

The National Winner’s school will be presented with £50 worth of Wyevale vouchers and a tree to plant in its grounds. An official tree planting ceremony will take place as part of the prize at a mutually convenient time.

To find out more, please call Wyevale Garden Centre on 01189 403 933, visit www.wyevale.co.uk or call in at the garden centre, which is located on Floral Mile, Hare Hatch in Twyford.

Wyevale Garden Centre, Floral Mile, Hare Hatch, Twyford, Berkshire, RG10 9SQ