York in Bloom’s entries are hoping to blossom into gold on Tuesday 18 September when the Yorkshire in Bloom results will be announced at York Racecourse.

This year, 20 local groups and organisations are competing against hundreds of entries from across the Yorkshire and Humber region for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom awards, which will be declared in York itself.

All York’s contestants have entered the competition individually, and have also entered as part of City of York’s collective entry known as and co-ordinated by York in Bloom, which gives everyone two chances for recognition.

All are judged against three criteria: horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation. Some are used as exemplars for the York in Bloom entry, such as the award-winning Low Moor Community Kids Allotment for community participation, while York Museum Trust’s Museum Gardens exemplifies the city’s horticultural achievement.

So will it be gold, silver gilt, silver or bronze for York’s entries? Individual entries have been made by City of York, Haxby, Dunnington, Bishopthorpe, Upper and Nether Poppleton and Fulford in the categories for villages, small towns or cities.

Other entries include Middlethorpe Hall and Spa, The Royal York Hotel, the Coppergate Centre, Earswick Scented Garden, Low Moor Community Kids Allotment, Dringhouses Primary School, University York St John, Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, Naburn Lock Caravan Park, Homestead Park, Grimston Court Residential Care Home, Rosevale Nursing Home, The Treasurer’s House and the York Museum Gardens, several of which have won gold medals in the past.