ENTRIES for this year's Garden Awards have been flooding in to the Weston & Somerset Mercury office. The Mercury has teamed up with Cheddar Garden Centre to find the best gardens in the area. Rae Fitzgerald, aged 68, has entered her garden in Eagle Close

ENTRIES for this year's Garden Awards have been flooding in to the Weston & Somerset Mercury office.The Mercury has teamed up with Cheddar Garden Centre to find the best gardens in the area. Rae Fitzgerald, aged 68, has entered her garden in Eagle Close, in Mead Vale, Worle in three of the four categories - best water feature, best back garden and most creative display. She said: "I didn't enter the best front garden category because I share it with a neighbour and only tend to half of it. I have plans to enter it next year though."Rae's most unusual feature in her grounds is a miniature version of a Japanese garden. She said: "I saw a beautiful example in Ireland and decided to do my own mini version. They have winding paths that you walk around, so I did a small scale version in a box with some pebbles." The garden is open during the summer for the public to have a look around. Rae, pictured above in her garden, said: "When I moved into the house from Banwell six years ago there were a few shrubs in it but nothing much else so I relished the challenge. I like to spend a few hours each day in the garden and I'm proud of what I have managed to achieve." To enter your green-fingered creations fill in the entry form in the newspaper, visit www.cheddargardencentre.co.uk or call into our reception in Waterloo Street, Weston, to pick up an entry form. The four lucky category winners and one overall winner can win some fantastic prizes including plants, garden furniture and sheds. Two 7x5 ins photographs need to be provided with the entry form. The closing date for entries is August 31.