EACH YEAR Petersfield Town Council invites local residents and businesses to brighten up the town with their floral displays.

And this year the council has teamed up with the Post to help residents enter the competition; those happy to do so online can still do so, but those would prefer to use the form printed below can too.

A council spokesman said: “This time last year when the council was thinking of putting the competition wheels in motion we were presented with an unprecedented challenge – the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

“So the competition had to take a virtual format and the council was only able to accept online entries.

“Here we are a year later, and restrictions are still in place that will make it hard for the competition to go ahead in its original format, so once again it will be online, but those wanting to enter but uncomfortable entering online can do using the form in the Post.

“But once again, it will be difficult to enrol our usually judging panel, recruited from local horticultural societies.

“And the usual presentation evening in the Rose Room at the Festival Hall will also be in the balance, until we know if it can, or can’t, go ahead.

“However, we would still like to hold the competition in a similar format to last year’s.”

Once again, there are just three categories to enter:

Multi – this an area of display, and can be anything from an entire garden, to a vegetable patch of border.

Solo – this is a single entry, such as a hanging basket, or a individual arrangement.

Themed or Unusual Container – this can anything,a wheelbarrow planted with flowers for example – entrants are invited to use their imaginations!

Those taking part are asked to photograph their entries and email the pictures to the council for judging, or print them and deliver them to the town hall.

The deadline for them to be with the council is Thursday, July 1. Entries can be either by the form below or via the council website at www.petersfield-tc.gov.uk