Randalstown getting ready to be judged

Tidy Randalstown volunteers prepare to fly the flag in National Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom Competition. (submitted picture).

Randalstown is one of 79 finalists vying to win a coveted Gold medal and be crowned one of the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful places in the UK.

Tidy Randalstown will not lead RHS Britain in Bloom judges on a tour of their town until August but they have started getting ready for their arrival.

The volunteers are to be seen regularly around the town wearing their high-visibility jackets, weeding, sweeping, planting and litter picking.

They have just finished painting 50 new wooden barrels to display with summer planting in early June.

Helen Boyd, Secretary of Tidy Randalstown said: “Our aim is to get the whole community involved, whether you’re a beginner gardener or a seasoned expert.

“Even just adding a few plants to your front garden, planting up a container or picking up litter on your street can make a big difference to making Randalstown a greener and more pleasant place to live.”

The winners will be announced at the Britain in Bloom awards ceremony in Llandudno, North Wales, on Friday, October 27.

RHS Britain in Bloom is the UK’s biggest community gardening campaign and involves up to 300,000 passionate local volunteers who work year-round to keep neighbourhoods and streets green, clean and thriving.

Anyone who wants to get involved and help make Randalstown look its best for the judges, can email Helen Boyd at [email protected]