Could you grow the tallest sunflower?

Green-fingered gardeners in the borough are being challenged to grow the tallest sunflower.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Paul Reid delivering sunflower seeds to pupils at Hazelbank PS, as well as other schools across the borough.Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Paul Reid delivering sunflower seeds to pupils at Hazelbank PS, as well as other schools across the borough.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Paul Reid delivering sunflower seeds to pupils at Hazelbank PS, as well as other schools across the borough.

Free sunflower seeds have been delivered to schools across the borough so pupils can get sowing and growing to enter the popular annual Mid and East Antrim in Bloom Tallest Sunflower Competition.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr Paul Reid, has been helping council staff to hand out the packs and is encouraging kids from Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne to get planting before the winner is announced later in the year.

He said: “This year we have delivered 7000 free packets of sunflower seeds to local school children as part of the Mid and East Antrim In Bloom competition. If you think your garden can grow a taller sunflower, make sure you don’t miss out this year.

“We are also running a number of other competitions for In Bloom this year so why not also enter our Painting Competition, Poetry Competition or Best School Gardening Project? I wish all the entrants good luck.”

There are 10 community competitions with great prizes available for winners and runners up in each. Categories include Best Kept Front Garden, Best Kept Allotment Garden, Best Kept Commercial Premises, Best Kept Community Planting Scheme and the Gardening for Wildlife Award.

For more information on how to enter go to www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/inbloom