A bunch of eight sweet pea stems sent by post from East Sussex gardener Richard Baron scooped the £250 first prize in the General Postal Class in Mr Fothergill’s national competition held at Capel Manor College, Enfield, north London on Saturday, 18 July 2015. The event attracted postal entries from as far afield as Tyne and Wear, Co Tyrone, Somerset and Yorkshire. Miss L Smith of Burton on Trent and Janice Sharkey of Glasgow were second and third respectively, winning £150 and £100.

Mr Fothergill’s competition co-ordinator Pim Dickson, who also devised the postal method using a two-litre plastic soft drinks bottle to ensure safe transit of blooms, said he was delighted at the good condition in which they all arrived.

There was also a class for on-the-day entrants, who staged their exhibits during the morning, with similar levels of prize money. First prize was awarded to Alec Cave of Derby, with second prize going to Bill Jones and third prize to Derek Florin.

The Junior section of the competition was won by students of Access Group 2 from Capel Manor College. In second place was Bollington St John’s C of E Primary School from Macclesfield, with Montbelle Primary School of New Eltham in third.

The judges for the competition were John Fothergill of Mr Fothergill’s, gardening writer Peter Seabrook MBE and Stephen Dowbiggin OBE, principal of Capel Manor College.  Entries were judged on their overall appeal.

Gardeners growing sweet peas this summer could earn themselves a share of the £2500 prize money on offer from Mr Fothergill’s at its national sweet pea competition to be held on Saturday, 18 July 2015 at Capel Manor College in north London.  So if you have some promising looking blooms on your sweet pea plants then take up the Mr Fothergill’s Sweet Pea Challenge!

The location of the venue need not deter anyone who wishes to enter their blooms because, in addition to entrants staging displays on the day, the company has devised a foolproof way of sending entries by post in two-litre soft drink bottles, ensuring they arrive in good condition to be staged by its staff.  For full details of how to submit postal entries, log on at www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/sweet pea comp

There are six categories in the competition, first, second and third prizes for which are:

1. 1. General Class £250/£150/£100.
2. 2. General Postal Class £250/£150/£100.
3. 3. Individual Junior Class* £125/£75/£50.
4. 4. Individual Junior Postal Class* £125/£75/£50.
5. 5. School/Group Junior Class £250/£150/£100.
6. 6. School/Group Junior Postal Class £250/£150/£100.

*These prizes will be given as Garden Centre Gift Vouchers.

The competition, which began in 2013, is aimed at ordinary gardeners rather than exhibitors, with each bunch of mixed blooms to be judged on its overall appeal.

Entrants staging their own sweet peas on the day must enter 10 stems, while postal entrants need submit just eight stems.  “This is not an event for expert growers.  We hope lots of individuals and schools will enter the competition and join in the fun”, said Mr Fothergill’s Pim Dickson, who devised the postal entry method.

News of Mr Fothergill’s national sweet pea competition with £2,500 up for grabs has been causing quite a stir on social media, and especially among schools, which can receive a free packet of seeds to grow their plants for the event which takes place on Saturday 18 July 2015 at Capel Manor College in north London.  The company’s social media coordinator Debbie Porter says, “Lots of schools are signing up for their free packet of our new sweet pea Tiller Girls, while many people have been tweeting, having found the blog about the competition.  It’s creating quite an impact, and there is even a ‘just-for-fun’ category for gardening writers and broadcasters!”

Gardeners who fancy their chances of winning a slice of the £2,500 on offer in Mr Fothergill’s national sweet pea growing competition can still sow seed during February or early March to produce blooms for mid July.  Sow five or six seeds per 12cm pot of multipurpose compost at a depth of 1cm.  Water thoroughly, allow to drain and place pots on a windowsill, or in cold frame or greenhouse.  Do not water again until seedlings emerge, usually in seven to 14 days.  When two pairs of leaves have formed, pinch out the growing tip to encourage bushy growth.  Set out young plants individually 20cm apart, supporting them with a network of canes and netting.

Entrants may either post their blooms in a two-litre soft drinks bottle or come to the college on the day of the show to stage their flowers.  The company has devised a method of ensuring postal entries to arrive in good condition and details are available at the company’s website http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/sweetpeacomp  There are six categories, first, second and third prizes for which are:

1     General Class £250/£150/£100.                        2     General Postal Class £250/£150/£100.

3     Individual Junior Class* £125/£75/£50.           4     Individual Junior Postal Class* £125/£75/£50.

5  School/Group Junior Class £250/£150/£100.     6 School/Group Junior Postal Class £250/£150/£100.

*These prizes will be given as Garden Centre Gift Vouchers.

You can view and order from our extensive range of sweet pea seeds from Mr Fothergill’s on the website, or by mail order from our catalogue.

Mr Fothergill’s are offering free sweet peas for schools to the first 100 applicants.   Any of Britain’s schools which would like the chance to win £250 by growing sweet peas this summer for Mr Fothergill’s national competition are being given an added incentive by Mr Fothergill’s with the offer of free seed.  The company has a packet of 20 seeds of its brand new and exclusive sweet pea Tiller Girls, each worth £2.09, to give to the first 100 schools which contact it expressing an interest.  The judging will be held at Capel Manor College, north London, on Saturday 18 July 2015.  Tiller Girls is a very sweetly scented, large flowered mixture of attractive ‘flakes’.

There are two categories for schools’ entries – those staged on the day and those sent by post – each with a £250 first prize, £150 second prize and £100 third prize to be donated to the winning schools’ funds.  There are also two similar categories for individual youngsters, each with respective first, second and third prizes of £125, £75 and £50 in garden centre vouchers.

The prizes will be awarded to those entrants whose displays have the greatest all-round appeal in the opinion of the judges, one of whom will be the company’s John Fothergill.  He says “We want to encourage as many schools and youngsters to enter as possible and for it all to be as much fun as possible.  Sweet peas are easy to grow and everyone loves their flower form and fragrance.”

Entrants may either post their blooms in a two-litre soft drinks bottle or turn up at the college on the day of the show to stage their flowers.  Mr Fothergill’s has devised  a method of packing and mailing sweet peas through the post to ensure postal entries arrive in good condition.  Read more for full details of the competition.

To request a free packet of sweet pea Tiller Girls for a school, please write to Schools Sweet Pea Competition, Mr Fothergill’s Seeds, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7QB.  Remember to include the sender’s address.

Anyone who likes the idea of winning a slice of the £2,500 on offer in Mr Fothergill’s national sweet pea growing competition to be judged in July 2015 still has time to sow sweet pea seed.  The event, which began in 2013, is to be held on Saturday 18 July 2015 at Capel Manor College in north London.

Entrants may either post their blooms in a two-litre soft drinks bottle or come to the college on the day of the show to stage their flowers.  The company has devised a method of packing and mailing sweet peas through the post, ensuring postal entries arrive in good condition.

There are six categories, first, second and third prizes for which are:

1     General Class £250/£150/£100.

2     General Postal Class £250/£150/£100.

3     Individual Junior Class* £125/£75/£50.

4     Individual Junior Postal Class* £125/£75/£50.

5     School/Group Junior Class £250/£150/£100.

6    School/Group Junior Postal Class £250/£150/£100.

*These prizes will be given as Garden Centre Gift Vouchers.

The company’s John Fothergill stressed the competition is again aimed at ordinary gardeners rather than exhibitors, and that each bunch of mixed blooms will be judged on its overall appeal.  “Entrants do not have to be expert growers.  We want as many people and schools as possible to have a go and join in the fun,” he said.

You can request a copy of the Mr Fothergill’s Seed Catalogue online, which features an extensive range of sweet peas, or by telephone 0845 371 0518 or write to Mr Fothergill’s, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Suffolk CB8 7QB.  Alternatively, you can take a look at the sweet peas on offer online at www.mr-fothergills.co.uk.