Press releases

Make it Snappy!
RHS Photographic Competition 2006

Make it Snappy! Time is running out for a chance to be crowned RHS Photographer of the Year and to win £1,000. The RHS Photographic Competition, supported by fine art publisher The Medici Society Ltd, closes on 28th July 2006.

The annual contest, which attracts around 4,000 entries from across the UK, is open to anyone with a great shot of the garden.  Amateur and professional photographers can enter six different categories, including People in the Garden, Wildlife in the Garden and Garden View*.

Whether you already have a wonderful image of the garden or want to snap some glorious summer blooms, visit www.rhs.org.uk/news/photocomp2005.asp for more information and for a competition entry form. Alternatively, send a SAE marked ‘RHS Photographic Competition 2006’ to: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH.

In addition to the top prize, which is £1,000 and the title of RHS Photographer of the Year, first prize winners in each category will be awarded £350 each; second prize winners will receive £200 each; and third prize winners will receive £100 each. A selection of winning images will also be featured in The Medici Society ‘Chelsea Inspirations’ greeting card range.**

Notes to Editors

For further information, please contact Hayley Monckton in the RHS Press Office on 020 7821 3045, e-mail: hayleymonckton@rhs.org.uk

Photographs of 2005 winning images are available at www.papicselect.com. Publications can register online and download images free of charge.

* The RHS Photographic Competition 2006 categories are:

Plant Portrait Photograph of the Year: entries in this category can be a single or grouping of the same plant or flower.

Close-Up Photograph of the Year: a photograph of a detail of a plant or flower.

Tree or Shrub Photograph of the Year: a photograph of any tree or shrub either in a garden or in the wild.

Garden View Photograph of the Year: a photograph of a garden (clearly identified as public or private) taken within the garden or looking into the garden. The photograph can include plants from the wild, groups of plants and urban garden scenes.

Wildlife in the Garden Photograph of the Year: a photograph of any animal life in a garden. This category includes birds, mammals, insects etc, but excludes domestic animals.

People in the Garden Photograph of the Year: the main subject of photographs in this category should represent a person or persons in a garden or horticultural environment.

For a competition entry form, send a SAE marked ‘RHS Photographic Competition 2006’ to: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. Alternatively, you can download a pdf version of the entry form from the RHS website at visit www.rhs.org.uk/news/photocomp2005.asp You can submit as many images, in as many categories, as you wish. The closing date for all entries is Friday 28 July 2006 with winners announced in September. Details of the 2006 competition can be obtained by emailing photocomp@rhs.org.uk

**The Medici Society Ltd features a selection of the winning images in the ‘Chelsea Inspirations’ greetings card range. The proceeds from licensed products such as these help to fund the many activities undertaken by the RHS to promote horticulture and help gardeners.

www.rhs.org.uk/pressoffice

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. RHS work includes providing expert advice and information, advancing horticulture, training the next generation of gardeners, helping school children learn about plants, and conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

An interest in gardening is all you need to enjoy being a member of the RHS. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society is Britain's largest gardening charity and is committed to being the leading organisation demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening. Renowned for its outstanding gardens and inspirational flower shows, the RHS is a key source of advice and information for all gardeners. It encourages gardening through its publications, trials, lectures, education programmes and scientific research and is home to the Lindley Library, which contains the most comprehensive collection of horticultural books in the world.

Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society offers many exclusive benefits including a monthly copy of The Garden magazine; free entrance to RHS Gardens Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; free access to a further 88 beautiful gardens across Britain and 20 gardens in Belgium and France; access to seeds collected at RHS gardens; free gardening advice and privileged tickets to 18 RHS flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

For further enquiries about membership of the RHS contact: Membership Department, Royal Horticultural Society, PO Box 313, London SW1P 2PE; 0845 130 4646 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm or via the RHS website

For more information e-mail the Press Office or visit the online Press Office