Cash awards of £100 are up for grabs in this year’s Erewash in Bloom gardening contest – and the council is urging residents to hurry for a chance to share in the prize pot.

The alert went out to green-fingered locals as the August 7 deadline for entries fast approaches.

There are top prizes totalling £500 in five categories – best front garden, best small back garden, best large back garden, best hanging baskets and planters, and best wildlife or environmental garden.

Second prizes in each of these categories are £50 and £25. A spokesman said: “It has got to be worth having a go.”

Under-16s can win £50 for tallest sunflower, with the runner-up getting £25 and a third prize of £10.

Coveted trophies and certificates will be handed out in six other categories, including for best allotments, school garden, pub or restaurant display and shop or business.

The competition is one of the largest in the East Midlands. Entering is easy-peasy – just send in photos. Find out more on the Erewash in Bloom page and enter using the online form.

Entrants this year include a row of three beautifully-adorned terraces on Ilkeston’s Nottingham Road, which passers-by regularly stop to take photos of. One admirer said in a Facebook post: “The flowers light up the row and make us smile. They actually lift people’s energy – thankyou for making a difference.”

Cllr Joel Bryan, Erewash council’s Lead Member for Environment, said:
“We want this competition to be the best ever – and you don’t need to have a massive garden to stand a chance of winning up to £100.
“Even the most humble of frontages can gladden the hearts by brightening up our streets. We have a big pot of prizes, so our message to residents is: Don’t miss out.”