Get creative in garden contest

A call has gone out to green-fingered Stirlingshire youngsters.

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, has launched a search for pupils to take part in a garden-design contest.

The Pocket Garden Competition challenges youngsters to design a garden which could feature as part of a forthcoming major display.

Schools are being encouraged to take part and design an outlay to take pride of place at this summer’s Gardening Scotland event.

A range of specialist 2020 themes for the design brief include Wildlife Gardening, One Planet Picnic, Keep Scotland Beautiful’s 20th birthday and theYear of Coasts and Waters.

Eve Keepax, food and environment officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Our annual Pocket Garden Competition is a practical and fun way for pupils to learn about food, the environment and biodiversity, as well as developing their creative design skills.

“Now in its fifth year, the competition has inspired schools from 30 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas to take part. We have seen schools produce fantastic designs full of clever surprises with innovative ideas. I hope that many more young people will participate this year.”

The competition centres around innovative designs which use plants to attract wildlife, as well as edible plants and recycled items.

Anthony McCluskey, chair of the Garden for Life Forum, added:“We are looking forward to seeing how schoolchildren meet the design challenge again this year, especially as our coasts and inland waters are such inspirational places.

“It’s more important than ever that we help wildlife in our gardens and grow our own food sustainably, and these designs can help in a small way to address the problems our planet is facing.”

The deadline for entries is March 11.

Further information is available by logging on to: www.keepscotland beautiful.org/ pocketgarden.