Mary Sets Olympic Challenge For Wakefield Garderners

21st April 2009

Mary today joined Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell to challenge Wakefield gardeners to design a Great British Garden for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Run in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the RHS Olympic Park Great British Garden Competition is designed to showcase one of the UK's favourite pastimes of gardening. Wakefield gardeners and their green fingered neighbours from across the country are asked to submit ideas for a quarter acre site expressing the unique qualities of a British domestic garden within contemporary parkland, so that visitors feel like they are wandering through someone's garden.

Six finalists will be short-listed by a panel of experts before being put to a public vote in September 2009. Winners will be chosen from two categories, 16 or under and 17 and over. The winners will work with a team of world-class landscape architects and garden designers on the Olympic park to design a great British Garden that will be in bloom during the London 2012 games and remain as a legacy.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the RHS website here:    

All entries need to be in by July 31st 2009.

Mary Creagh MP said: "I've seen some wonderful gardens when I've been out and about in Wakefield talking to constituents. It's obvious we've got some serious gardening talent! In fact if gardening were an Olympic sport then Wakefield gardeners would surely win gold! I hope that Wakefield's green-fingered gardening gurus will answer the call and represent Wakefield in this exciting national competition.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "London 2012 will showcase everything that's great about Britain, and there's nothing quite as reassuringly British as spending an afternoon pottering around the garden. That's why I want to see a Great British Garden on the Olympic Park."