Virtual Flower Show Competition: Winners Announced

The winners of the Carrickfergus in Bloom Virtual Flower Show have been announced by the Chairperson of the Parks, Countryside & Amenities Sub-Committee, Alderman May Beattie. The Virtual Flower Show with a £450 prize fund is the only online competition for local people to show off their gardening and photographic skills. Judging was carried out on the internet by popular vote from members of the public.

Alderman Beattie said "The Virtual Flower Show organised by Carrickfergus in Bloom is an excellent opportunity for Carrickfergus Borough residents to show off their photographic and gardening skills in this internet based competition. The winning photographs can be viewed at www.carrickfergusinbloom.org. Winners and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Town Hall in October to receive their certificates and prizes. At the ceremony we shall announce our plans for Carrickfergus in Bloom next year. To encourage people to enter the Virtual Flower Show we ran a free prize draw to win a Digital Camera, the winner was Ellen Hendry from Carrickfergus."

The Winners and Runners-Up (View Winning Photographs Here) are:

My Garden
Winner - Peaceful Sanctuary by Leah Thompson
Runner-Up - Room with a view by David Jackson

My Favourite Outdoor Plant
Winner - Lily White by Joanne Campbell
Runner-Up - Red on Black by Alan Cranston

My Favourite Indoor Plant
Winner - Curly Wurly by Jean Jackson
Runner-Up - Springtime Comes by Joyce Kernohan

My Favourite Landscape / Garden Setting
Winner - Snowy by Shelley Malcolmson
Runner-Up - View from Slemish by Crystal McClean

Flowers in their natural, wild setting
Winner - Still Waters by Gladys Blair
Runner-Up - Fern by the Fall by Warren Smyth

Flowers with pets or other animals
Winner - Dandering Duck by David Jackson
Runner-Up - Norton by Phil Hodges

Voting Starts on Virtual Flower Show

Voting has started on the Carrickfergus in Bloom Virtual Flower Show. Alderman May Beattie, Chairperson of the Parks, Countryside and Amenities Sub-Committee explained “The Virtual Flower Show is a web based competition that encourages people to submit to the Virtual Flower Show website (www.virtualflowershow.org) a favourite photograph taken during the last year, which fits one of the classes".

• My Garden
• My Favourite Outdoor Plant
• My Favourite Indoor Plant
• My Favourite Landscape or Garden Setting
• Flowers in their natural, wild setting
• Flowers with pets or other animals

“The Carrickfergus in Bloom Virtual Flower Show affords the community an opportunity to view and vote on the horticultural work of local people. I would encourage borough residents to log-on to the Carrickfergus Borough Council Virtual Flower Show website at www.virtualflowershow.org to view the entries and vote for their favourite. The quality of the work is very high and the willingness of local people to display their Carrickfergus in Bloom themed work is commendable.”

“Judging is by popular vote from members of the public. Votes will be cast electronically via this website from 23rd August to 20th September. Voting is easy just log on to www.virtualflowershow.org and pick your favourite photograph. The photo in each category that receives the most votes wins. The winners and runner-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Town Hall in October to receive their certificates and prizes. “ Mr Daye ended

Carrickfergus in Bloom winners honoured at prize-giving

Floral creativity has once again been recognised by the Carrickfergus in Bloom initiative organised by Carrickfergus Borough Council. Local competition winners and runners-up will receive their well earned certificates and prizes at a prize-giving lunch in Carrickfergus Town Hall today (Friday 22nd October 2010) with over 110 people attending the event.
Competition categories included Best Kept Garden & Best Kept Container Garden for householders; Best Kept Commercial Premises for commercial organisations; Painting, Poetry and Tallest Sunflower Competitions for young people; and for internet users we have the Virtual Flower Show.

At the Lunch, the Chairperson of Parks, Countryside & Amenities Sub-Committee, Alderman May Beattie thanked all those who took part in the competition and made it such a success. “The Carrickfergus in Bloom Community Competitions have really caught the imagination of Carrickfergus citizens. When they started ten years ago, fewer than 300 took part; this year over 1,600 people battled the weather and created some beautiful floral displays that we can all enjoy." said Alderman Beattie

“Carrickfergus in Bloom is a beacon of community gardening good practice, as it encourages people to get involved, builds community spirit and improves the environment we all live in. With initiatives such as our school growing clubs and one pot pledge create opportunities for health, wellbeing and learning.”

Alderman Beattie also thanked the Competition Sponsors who paid for many of the flowerbeds and hanging baskets throughout the Borough. "The success of Carrickfergus in Bloom could not have happened without the generous support of local businesses throughout the Borough of Carrickfergus."

"We would also thank our statutory partners that have made Carrickfergus in Bloom such a success. Translink, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive & the Department of Regional Development have helped to improve the beauty of Carrickfergus 365 days a year; with the use of flowers, colourful shrubs, trees and attractive street furniture. As have many local groups in the Borough“. Ended Alderman Beattie

View winners at the Carrickfergus in Bloom website

2010 Virtual Flower Show Winners

The winners of the 2010 Virtual Flower Show have been announced by Chairperson of the Parks Committee, Alderman May Beattie. Alderman May Beattie said “The Virtual Flower Show organised by Carrickfergus in Bloom is an excellent opportunity for Carrickfergus Borough residents to show off their photographic and gardening skills in this internet based competition. The winning photographs can be viewed at www.virtualflowershow.org. Winners and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Town Hall in October to receive their certificates and prizes. At the ceremony we shall announce our plans for Carrickfergus in Bloom in the coming year. To encourage people to enter the Virtual Flower Show we ran a free prize draw to win a Digital Camera. The winner was Phil Hodges from Carrickfergus.

The Winners & Runners-Up are:

My GardenWinner - Pink Flowers by Shelley Malcolmson
Runner-Up - Peace by Joyce Kernohan

My Favourite Outdoor Plant
Winner - Snowdrops by Phil Hodges
Runner-Up - Clemitas by Gladys Blair

My Favourite Indoor Plant
Winner - Bloomin Clivia by Jean Mccullough
Runner-Up - Hothouse Orchid Brian Anderson

My Favourite Landscape / Garden Setting
Winner - Arcadia by Brian Kelley
Runner-Up - Tulips by Terry Cooper

Flowers in their natural, wild setting
Winner - Rustic Bluebells by David Jackson
Runner-Up - Rockingham Forest by Park Harry Bates

Flowers with pets or other animals
Winner - Peek-a-boo by Joanne Campbell
Runner-Up - My Orange Clivia by Harry Bates

Prize Draw: Phil Hodges from Carrickfergus with Alderman May Beattie (pictured above). Phil won the ‘Win an Camera' Competition, the prize was a Olympus fe-5030.







View all Virtual Flower Show winners.

Virtual Flower Show Voting Starts

Voting has started on the Carrickfergus in Bloom Virtual Flower Show. Stephen Daye, Carrickfergus in Bloom Coordinator explained "The Virtual Flower Show is a web based competition that encourages people to submit to the Virtual Flower Show website (www.virtualflowershow.org) a favourite photograph taken during the last year, which fits one of the classes".

•My Garden
•My Favourite Outdoor Plant
•My Favourite Indoor Plant
•My Favourite Landscape or Garden Setting
•Flowers in their natural, wild setting
•Flowers with pets or other animals

"The Carrickfergus in Bloom Virtual Flower Show affords the community an opportunity to view and vote on the horticultural work of local people. I would encourage borough residents to log-on to the Carrickfergus Borough Council website to view the entries. The quality of the work is very high and the willingness of local people to display their Carrickfergus in Bloom themed work is commendable."

"Voting is easy just log on to www.virtualflowershow.org and pick your favourite photograph. The photo in each category that receives the most votes wins. The winners and runner-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Town Hall in October to receive their certificates and prizes."

Get snap happy this summer

“Are you a keen photographer? If so then there are two photography competitions that will interest you. Carrickfergus in Bloom’s Virtual Flower Show with a £450 prize fund and “Postcards from the Park” 2010, a national photography competition organised by parks charity GreenSpace with a £1000 prize fund.

“The Virtual Flower Show is an opportunity for Carrickfergus Borough residents to show off their photographic and gardening skills in this internet based competition” said Stephen Daye, Parks & Countryside Development Officer. Borough residents are requested to submit before 21st August a favourite photograph taken during the last year, which fits one of the six categories:

My Garden
My Favourite Outdoor Plant
My Favourite Indoor Plant
My Favourite Landscape or Garden Setting
Flowers in their natural, wild setting
Flowers with pets or other animals

Entries may be submitted in jpeg format to the Virtual Flower Show website www.virtualflowershow.org. Enter the Virtual Flower Show before 21st August and you will be automatically entered into a free prize draw to win an Olympus Digital Camera.

“Postcards from the Park” highlights the unique part that parks play in community life.” said Environmentalist and presenter, Chris Packham. "Parks are great places to take photos and there’ll be no problem finding loads of interesting subject matter, from wildlife to trees, and people having fun to detailed features on a bandstand or building. We are always impressed with the flair of photos we receive and I'm sure this year's entries will be even better." To enter “Postcards from the Park” visit www.postcardsfromthepark.org.uk.

Paul Bramhill, of GreenSpace, said: “Postcards from the Park is an excellent way for everyone to get out and about and enjoy their local public park. This competition has now become one of the highlights of the parks’ calendar and I am looking forward to seeing all the entries.”

For further information contact Stephen Daye, Parks & Countryside Development Officer at Carrickfergus Borough Council. T: (028) 93358039 or E: inbloom@carrickfergus.org

'In Bloom' winners honoured at prize-giving

Floral creativity has once again been recognised by the Carrickfergus in Bloom initiative organised by Carrickfergus Borough Council.

Local competition winners and runners-up received their well earned certificates and prizes at a prize-giving lunch in Carrickfergus Town Hall on Friday 23rd October 2009, with over 120 people attending the event.

Competition categories included Best Kept Garden & Best Kept Container Garden for householders; Best Kept Commercial Premises for commercial organisations; Painting, Poetry and Tallest Sunflower Competitions for young people; and for internet users we have the Virtual Flower Show.

At the Lunch, the Chairperson of Parks, Countryside & Amenities Sub-Committee, Alderman May Beattie thanked all those who took part in the competition and made it such a success. “The Carrickfergus in Bloom Community Competitions has really caught the imagination of local people with 1641 people taking part this year. The judges were very impressed by the number of high quality entries, the time and dedication many entrants spend in their gardens is extraordinary and is a credit to them, all who took part should be proud of their achievement's." said Alderman Beattie

Alderman Beattie also thanked the Competition Sponsors who paid for many of the flowerbeds and hanging baskets throughout the Borough. "The success of Carrickfergus in Bloom could not have happened without the generous support of local businesses throughout the Borough of Carrickfergus."

"We would also thank our statutory partners that have made Carrickfergus in Bloom such a success. Translink, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive & the Department of Regional Development have helped to improve the beauty of Carrickfergus 365 days a year; with the use of flowers, colourful shrubs, trees and attractive street furniture. As have many local groups in the Borough“. Ended Alderman Beattie

Virtual Flower Show

The Virtual Flower Show organised by Carrickfergus in Bloom is an opportunity for Carrickfergus Borough residents to show off their photographic and gardening skills. The 2009 competition is now open for voting.

Judging is by popular vote from members of the public. Votes will be cast electronically via this website from 23rd August to 20th September.

To VOTE please go to www.virtualflowershow.org.