IT is time to dust off the gloves and find where you left your trowel as entries are now open for a popular annual gardening contest.

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s (DWT) wildlife gardening competition, which is now in its ninth year, is looking for people who garden with wildlife in mind and create havens for wildlife on their doorstep.

Sponsored by The Gardens Group, the popular competition is free to enter and is suitable for private gardeners, schools, housing associations, community groups and those in rented properties.

This year also includes a new ‘innovation’ award for gardeners using their imagination to create homes for wildlife, such as using upcycled materials.

Katie Wilkinson, DWT’s Community Conservation Officer, said: “This competition is for anyone who has wildlife friendly features in their garden, such as a pond or a mini wildflower meadow.

"You don’t have to be an expert. The judges who come to visit the entrants will also give tips and advice on wildlife friendly gardening if you’re just starting out.

"More than ever, our wildlife is dependant on gardens to provide food and shelter, so what we do in our gardens is really important.”

The closing date for applications is Friday, May 25, with judging starting in June.

All entrants will receive a DWT wildlife friendly garden plaque and will be invited to the prize-giving ceremony at The Gardens Groups’ Castle Gardens in Sherborne in July. Prizes will include wildlife garden products, gardening books, vouchers and a winners’ plaque.

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, said: “Wildlife friendly gardening has really grown in popularity over the years, as people become more aware of their impact on the environment and wildlife.

"Every year we are hugely impressed and inspired by gardeners across Dorset, who are creating beautiful wildlife havens in their gardens, no matter how big or small.

"This competition is not just for gardening experts, so we would like to encourage anyone who is trying to create a welcoming environment for wildlife to enter, whether in their gardens or out in the wider community.”