RESIDENTS are being urged to get their gardening gloves on and spruce up their land ready for Bicester in Bloom.

Organised by Bicester Town Council a host of awards are up for grabs for households and businesses.

Categories have been re-organised and one new award added — the Best Tenant Garden — to encourage more people to enter the competition.

People have until Friday, July 6, to enter the contest in one or more categories including best front or back garden, commercial site, allotment, hanging basket, new comer, nursery environmental garden and best of the best.

Primary and secondary schools are being urged to enter the Carol Steward Award for the Best Environmental Garden, in memory of the town and district councillor and Bicester Community College governor who died last year after battling leukaemia.

Bicester in Bloom chairman Lynn Pratt, pictured, said: “We would live to see more people enter Bicester in Bloom and make it more of a competition.

“It’s free to enter and a bit of fun. Obviously anything done in the town helps us in the Britain in Bloom competition — the judges are due in Bicester on July 3.”

Each entry will receive a free geranium from Wyevale Garden Centre and there are three prizes for each category with vouchers of £10 to £25 for winners.

Judging will take place in the last two weeks of July. For more information or to enter call the town council on 01869 252915 or view bicester.gov.uk Picture: OX52616 Jon Lewis